


What I Did on My Summer Vacation

by puddleofgoo



Series: A Life Less Ordinary [15]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Anal Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, Heavy BDSM, M/M, Oral Sex, Sex, Sex Toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 16:50:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 225,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4312809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puddleofgoo/pseuds/puddleofgoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In desperate need of some down time, John and Rodney head to a BDSM resort for their annual leave, and rediscover each other, and a new level of intimacy they never knew they could reach.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is fifteenth in the "A Life Less Ordinary" series and is set following the events in SGA 2x04: Duet. 
> 
> Much thanks must go to my betas, Chaps and DJaddict. If you find any mistakes it's because I didn't listen to them.

When it rains, it pours—at least that's what it seems like it does here in the Pegasus galaxy. They'd managed to survive their encounters with space pirates, angry natives, uncooperative alien planetary systems, the occasional slide into insanity—or suicidal depression as the case may be—only to have more shit thrown at them. In this case it was a former teammate turned into an angry, insane drug-pushing bully who decided that holding his former friends hostage and pumping them full of really addicting drugs was a good idea.

On top of the suicidal depression it hadn't been a good few weeks, but between Kate and a really patient John, they'd worked him through it. Not all of it—he had a lot of shit in his past that he was really not ready to wade through yet—but he'd started on some of it. His feelings of inadequacy, for example. Even though he had trained with Ford and Teyla nearly two years ago, the lack of regular training was painfully obvious. So John had him working in the firing range improving his skills and the regular training was starting to pay off. He could hit the broad side of a barn now.

The thrill of accomplishment and John's approval—and the compliments on his improvement from the Sergeant in charge of the range—had gone a long way to boost his self-confidence in regards to off-world assignments. He still knew he was the weakest link, but he was getting better.

The hand-to-hand fighting with John had gone as badly as he'd thought, but when they'd moved to Teyla's stick training…that had gone a lot better. Not good, but better.

John had been talking about classes for everyone who went off-world. That there would be a required number of classes they'd have to regularly attend in order to quality for off-world missions. Rodney didn't like it, but John hadn't pushed that through yet. They still didn't have regular trainers for the various disciplines, so it was hard. Teyla and Ronon and John could only teach so much. And honestly, the rest of the military staff wasn't exactly happy about training scientists.

The semi-regular morning runs with John were helping, too, leaving him in a much better frame of mind afterward. It was different from sex, but in some ways just as good. That, however, was something he was refusing to admit to John. There was no way he was going to tell John that he was right when it came to the running thing.

After the week-long detox thanks to CrazyFord, Rodney was ready for a vacation, but the SGC had other things in mind. Several more weeks of work before they had to be subjected to mind-numbing meetings before finally—finally!—they would be allowed to go on leave for ten days.

And then John had to go and get himself stuck in a time-dilation field.

Rodney never wanted to see the look of defeat on his lover that he'd seen when they'd finally found him. It had hurt to look at him, to see him like that.

The sex the night they'd got back was tender and slow, as if John was reminding himself of how Rodney felt and smelled and tasted. John marked him several times over even though the marks from two nights ago were still clear on his skin.

John's fingers had slid across them reverently, possibly the only thing that confirmed to him how little time had passed on Rodney's side of the portal. Afterward, with John breathing deeply, his face pressed into Rodney's skin, he'd held him tightly, giving his lover the time and touch he needed to ground him. If there had been a wet spot on his chest, Rodney never noticed, too intent on comforting John.

And then they'd tried to blow up Atlantis. At least it hadn't been his staff this time out. No, instead it had been the Goa'uld-infested Caldwell.

That had been a surprise to everyone.

After everything was said and done, John questioned Caldwell about what other surprises he may have left in Atlantis. While Rodney didn't believe Caldwell's insistence that they'd discovered everything, John had let him go.

Granted, the SGC would have another go at him, but John trusted Caldwell's word—which was more than Rodney could say. His entire staff was going over their systems with a fine-tooth comb.

As soon as Rodney had heard, he found John in his office doing paperwork. "You just let him go."

John slumped into his chair, letting out a sigh before he raised his head ot look at Rodney. "News surely travels fast." He paused a beat before continuing. "He didn't have any other information, not right now. There was no point in keeping him here."

"He has plenty of information. He just wasn't sharing it with you."

"To be honest, I really don't care right now about what else the creepy snake did. I just wanted to know if Atlantis was further compromised. The SGC can handle the rest." John held out a hand to Rodney.

Letting himself get tugged, Rodney rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder how you can be so Apple pie innocent. Of course he knew more. Of course Atlantis has been compromised. And the SGC? They don't care as long as the Wraith don't make it to Earth."

His lover chuckled. "Just because we know the snake sent more information, doesn't mean Caldwell himself actually knows it. And... to be honest I'm hoping this will settle things down a bit. He'll never like me, but I'll take not actively trying to oust me from Atlantis. He didn't know anything of any importance, not right now. If he remembers something later, he's not petty enough to withhold it. My guess is that he'll be remembering things for the next few months."

"If he didn't share them now, he won't be sharing them later." Rodney scowled. "And do you think the Trust is just going to give up?"

John arranged Rodney so he was balanced on the other man's knees—not comfortable for long term, but it allowed John to nose at the side of Rodney's neck. "Mmm, no, they won't give up, and we'll have to be extra careful now. And you're wrong. Caldwell might not like me, but he's not an evil man. He's not going to withhold critical information just because he can. Right now he's still reeling from nine months as a prisoner in his own head. Cut the man a little slack."

"Cut the man a little slack? I have my entire staff working on all of Atlantis' systems to see what else he might have booby trapped and you want me to cut him some slack. He almost got us killed or did you miss that?"

John shook his head. "I didn't miss it. But it wasn't him that tried to kill us. I know it's hard to separate it, but... I guess after everything we've been through, I'm not going to convict a man for what his body did while under alien possession."

Rodney snorted. "This isn't just about him being a host to a Goa'uld. This is about him as a man and about the fact that he was leaning far enough into the Trust's objectives before he was snaked that he made himself a prime candidate."

John caressed Rodney's face, thumb tracing the line of his jaw. Despite himself, Rodney found himself relaxing into the touch. "He'll be watched, pretty damn closely, for probably the next year if not more. But that's not our job, so I'm not going to worry about it."

"Of course it's going to be our job," Rodney groused, letting John's touch soothe him.

"But right now it isn't. Focus on our city, and let someone else worry about the rest. That's all we can do." John's voice turned a little playful. "Did I tell you that just before everything went crazy, I got the official time for the briefing and our leave?"

"No," he grumbled. "And when were you going to tell me that?"

"Surprise." John whispered it across Rodney's skin, making goose bumps pop up in his wake. "We'll finish mopping up the current crisis, but we leave in five days."

"Five days?"

"Mmm hmm. We'll brief with the IOA for five days, and then we have ten of leave time."

"Only ten?"

His lover chuckled. "It will be fine. You'll spend it deep in headspace."

Rodney shifted on John's lap, turning in toward his lover. "Did you make all our reservations?"

"Peter is taking care of it for us. He knows of some places, and can actually call around to see what's available. He said he'd make the reservations at the resort, and then I'll book us a flight when we get to Earth."

"Oh, god. You're letting them plan everything?"

John nipped at Rodney's collarbone, his eyes playful. "Not everything. But I can't exactly ask frank questions about what facilities and policies these places have over a secure email server monitored by the government. I gave Peter a vague idea of what I wanted, and he and Harry will find a place that matches our needs."

"I'm not sure I trust them. I mean, they got us a bondage bed for our wedding present."

John's grin was wicked. "Exactly. They know what I want to do with you. And to you."

Rodney rolled his eyes, pressing a quick kiss to John's lips. "I need to get back to work after that pathetic excuse for an interrogation. You know Miko could have done better. All she would have had to do was start up the waterworks and Caldwell would have been a puddle at her feet."

He could taste John's laughter as his lover pulled him in for a slightly deeper kiss. "I'll keep that in mind. Go ahead and get back to work. I'll see you tonight."

"Usual time?"

"Of course." John kissed him again, then released his grip to let Rodney slide off his lap.

"Try to stay out of trouble," he said as he moved to the door, John unlocking it for him with a mental command.

"Same to you. Don't blow anything up."

Rodney snorted. "As if. If anyone were to blow up things it would be the idiots trying to pass themselves off as scientists. At least Kavanaugh is leaving—again—with Caldwell. I won't have to deal with him."

John grinned again, shaking his head. "Go work. I'll see you tonight."

"Yes, sir," Rodney said, offering his lover a wobbly salute.

John's salute was much crisper, although the smirk that went with it was far from regulation.

Rolling his eyes, Rodney stepped into the hall heading down to the labs. Honestly, he was worried about Caldwell. He knew that the man knew far more than he let on and he had this thing against John. And now with his connection to the Trust…yeah, they weren't about ready to let him go too easily.

He wandered into the labs a few minutes later, the hum of computer equipment and murmuring conversations soothing in their own way. There were no missions scheduled so he had five days to focus on Atlantis and her systems.

"What's the status?" he asked, catching Radek's eye.

The Czech shrugged, pushing his glasses up his nose. "We have found no additional evidence of tampering thus far. Simpson and Miko are still combing through primary systems, however, and I am attempting to go through secondary systems. There are too many for us to check each individually, so I have prioritized based on how much damage could be done."

Rodney nodded. "Good. I'm going to go back in the logs and walk through everything that Caldwell touched."

Radek nodded. "I thought you might wish to tackle that personally. I have set up computers with logs for last several months pulled up already for you. I did not have time to sort through them, however, and distinguish who touched what, only systems that were accessed."

"How far did you go back?"

"I did not know time frame, so I pulled the logs from last four months."

"I need nine months. Is the script you used still on the computer? I only want to pull the entries with the times the Daedalus was in orbit."

Radek made a face, muttering a few choice curses in Czech. "He was under the influence that long? Most frustrating. Yes, script is still on computer. It will be difficult to check everything for that much time. For even four months, we are already facing more data than can be reasonably checked."

"Ah, but did you pull everything or just when the Daedalus was here?" Rodney started pecking away at the computer keys, closing windows and pulling up others as he wandered through the results Radek had pulled up.

"To be thorough we were checking it all. However, you are right. We will have to narrow search for now."

"Of course I'm right. I'm not an idiot, you know."

Radek waved his hand, turning back to his computer. "Was not talking about you. You check what we know Caldwell touched directly. The rest of us will handle more general searches."

Rolling his eyes again, Rodney threw himself into his work. Radek was right. There was a lot of data to go through even after he narrowed down the search criteria. It was going to take days to go through it all.

***

The days flew by fast for John. They finished cleaning up from the Caldwell debacle, and then John, Lorne, and Elizabeth did some very intensive briefing sessions, planning for the time when he would be on Earth, making sure almost every contingency was accounted for.

Confident his city was in good hands, and ready to face the IOA, John was in pretty good spirits when he and Rodney finally gathered at the Gate, a duffel each, with only a few illicit things packed away. Most stuff they could get on Earth—or already had—but a few things, like John's favorite Ancient cock ring, were coming along for the trip.

He glanced up at Elizabeth. "Any last minute instructions before we do this?"

The corner of her mouth twitched up in a half-smile. "Don't get in trouble."

"Aww Mom..." His grin widened at her eye roll. "Seriously, we'll be fine. We'll be back in a few weeks, and if there's something you need one of us to look at in the meantime, you can send it through with the weekly databurst."

"Five weeks, if my estimate is right."

He nodded. "You guys will be fine." His grin turned a little wicked. "And next time, it'll be you and Carson who are gone. Leaving Rodney and I to run the city."

"Oh dear god," came the Scot's hushed reply, which sent everyone within hearing distance into a chuckle.

Laughing, John was glad to see even his lover was trying—and failing—to hide a smile. "All right, let's get this show on the road. Dial us up, Chuck."

"Have a safe trip," Elizabeth said, "and an enjoyable vacation."

He nodded. "We will. See you in a few weeks." John looked back over at the sound of the gate connecting, the thrill that always went through him when he saw it still there, even though he knew it was just to the SGC.

"Adrenaline junkie," Rodney muttered only soft enough for John to hear.

Sending an amused glance Rodney's way, John kept his voice just as low. "And you love it."

Rodney raised an eyebrow, his crooked mouth twisting a little more, but there was laughter in his eyes. God. It had taken weeks to get the haunted look to go away, but it was so worth it.

This was going to be an awesome vacation. They were both grinning as they picked up their bags and headed through the Gate. Stepping out in the SGC, John glanced around—he hadn't been paying attention to who was supposed to be meeting them.

General Landry was there, along with some of SG-1, a few welcoming smiles greeting them as they walked down the ramp. It took less than a minute for Rodney to stiffen up entirely, his eyes narrowed as he looked around the gateroom.

John glanced around himself, wondering what had put Rodney on guard, even as he came to semi-attention and saluted their welcoming party, smiling. "General, Colonels, Doctor Jackson. Great to see you again."

"Welcome home, gentlemen," Landry said, answering for everyone as John and Rodney came to a stop at the bottom of the ramp. "Doctor Lam is waiting for you in the infirmary and then we can get your de-briefings underway before you meet with the IOA."

John chuckled. "Jumping right in, eh? Sounds good sir. I have a USB key with all the new reports, including the information and assessments on the whole Goa'uld incident. Would you like those now to start going over?"

"I'm sure they came through in the databurst," he said, dismissing John's offer. "Just give your bags to the Airman and he'll get you settled in your rooms."

Rodney shifted uneasily. "We'll be staying at my apartment."

John nodded. "McKay offered to put me up there again, sir, and since I get a little claustrophobic being trapped under this mountain, I took him up on it. Mind if we toss the bags in a locker, and pick them up on our way out later?"

"You'll be staying in the Mountain tonight," Landry said, offering no further explanation. Carter's smile had gotten a little forced.

John blinked. He couldn't disobey a direct order. "Ah, yes sir. If you don't mind, we'll go get our physicals then." He caught Carter and Mitchell's eyes, hoping they were planning to come along and explain what was going on.

Mitchell held his gaze offering an apology while Carter's slid away. "I'll let Doctor Lam know you're on your way. Captain Harrow will escort you," Landry said, gesturing to the Marine hovering to the side.

Okay, what the hell? John kept an easy smile on his face, nodding. "Yes, sir. See you as soon as we're cleared, sir."

After handing off their bags to the second Marine, they followed Captain Harrow out of the gateroom and to the infirmary.

John stayed close to Rodney, enough that they couldn't be easily separated without making it an obvious issue. Fortunately no one tried, and they were sitting side-by-side on infirmary beds waiting for Doctor Lam. Glancing around to see that they were alone, John looked at his lover. "Okay, something's going on here. Any ideas as to what it is?"

"SGC paranoia," Rodney said quietly, eyeing the not-so-subtle guards standing nearby. "Carter wouldn't look at me when we arrived. That's how I knew. And that smile—fake."

"Paranoia? Over what? We've been working with them to arrange this briefing for months now." John shook his head. "Caldwell. That's what this is about, isn't it? They want to make sure we aren't compromised too, nevermind the fact that the snake came from the Milky Way, not Pegasus."

"And Caldwell's not due here for another week or so."

John sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So much for an easy briefing. Well, we aren't enemy agents, so while it might not be fun to do this, hopefully we can get through it relatively painlessly."

"Doubtful. And I wouldn't be surprised if our physical includes all kinds of invasive procedures."

Both John's eyebrows went up at that. Neither of them was wearing anything incriminating—they knew they were going to have a physical after all—and he had kept the marking over the last few days down to just the one spot, which could be passed off as a bruise. But still... "What? What do you mean?"

Before Rodney could answer, Doctor Lam walked in, a smile on her face. "Gentlemen, welcome back to Earth. Let's get you started," she said.

John did his best to paste on another easy smile. "We're all yours, Doc. Carson sent through our current medial records and tests, correct? I know we have to be re-tested for a lot here, but…"

"I have Doctor Becket's test results, but we're going to go through everything just in case. Doctor McKay, if you'll accompany Nurse Hardy, we can get you set up in the other room."

John and Rodney's eyes met for a long moment, and then John turned back to Doctor Lam, feeling uneasy. "You don't have to go to that much trouble. We've shared a tent off-world, and bled all over each other. Seeing a little bit of skin isn't going to hurt us. If it's all the same to you, I think we'd prefer to both stay here."

"It's not an option, Colonel."

He didn't like this. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but it didn't seem like they had a lot of choices here. After another long, non-verbal conversation with Rodney, his lover nodded slowly, sliding off the bed he had claimed earlier.

John watched as Rodney walked out with Nurse Hardy—vaguely wondering if there was a Doctor Drew or Nurse Drew around, too.

"Sorry about that, sir, but it's SOP," Lam said, fishing out a gown from the nearby cabinet.

"No offense, Ma'am, but I've been through this before. While this isn't unheard of, it isn't SOP either. I just wish I knew what the hell was going on here." His voice was quiet, but he pulled his shirt off, knowing the drill.

"After there's been any…incidents, everything buttons down for a while. You're just getting the brunt of it," she said apologetically. "I'll need you to strip down to your boxers. We'll give you a new uniform when we're done. Just place everything in the plastic bag except your boots. I'll be back in a few minutes."

He stared at her retreating back for a few long minutes. They were even taking his uniform? Shit. John emptied out his pockets, tossing his personal stuff onto the bed next to him. An Epipen, a little Ancient doodad he had pocketed—all it did was light up, but when he was going to be off-world for an extended period, it made him feel better to have that piece of Atlantis—and a few bits of paper with notes to himself over orders, team assignments and the like. His dog tags swung freely as he stripped the rest of his clothes off, unhappy, but unwilling to flagrantly disobey just yet.

The guard stood quietly, observing but not-observing. He remembered guard duty. It was never fun. With a quiet sigh, he placed his clothes in the bag, his personal effects he left next to him.

Doctor Lam returned a few minutes later, file folder in hand. "Oh, Colonel," she said, pausing at the edge of the bed. "I need all of your effects in the bag."

"I'm willing to give you the Epi-pen only if you give me a new one to replace it when I leave. The notes I don't really care about either—I already went over all this with Lorne before I left. But I'm not giving up my paper weight unless I'm promised I'll get it back."

She looked at him for a long moment before taking a few steps to the cabinet, pulling out a smaller plastic bag. "Put them in here. I'll make sure they make it to your room."

He relaxed slightly, placing everything in the bag. The weight he held out, letting it blink a few times. "I'm not trying to give you a hard time. But when I'm away from the city this long, it helps to have something like this to fiddle with. I'm used to her being in my head 24/7. Making the switch to not at all is a little like going cold turkey off some mild but addictive medications."

"I've heard that from some of the gene carriers," she said, putting the now-sealed bag on the counter next to the file folder. "Shall we get started?"

"And the stronger your gene, the worse it is, especially in the beginning." He gave her a slight smile, but held out his arms slightly. "Where do you want me?"

"We'll start with the easy stuff. Blood draws and a general physical assessment. Then we'll move into some additional procedures and then go to the MRI scanners for a few other imaging tests."

"Additional procedures?" John eyed her warily as she stuck him with a needle, making him wince. "I thought we just had to give blood and be cleared that we aren't carrying any diseases or anything."

"Not this time."

"And that would be the same reason we're not being allowed to stay off base tonight, I'm assuming."

"Some of the tests will need to be run first thing in the morning and I need to make sure you have been within strict environmental conditions."

"What kind of tests? And what do you mean by 'strict environmental controls'?" John eyed her warily.

She smiled. "You'll find out."

"Not doing much to ease my mind here, doc..." John winced again as more blood was drawn.

She offered an apologetic shrug. "Just relax and let us do our jobs. It'll be easier that way."

He sighed, but nodded, laying back on the bed when she gestured for him to do so.

He was poked and prodded and examined in more ways than he ever wanted to be. Doctor Lam was kind, but very thorough. Too thorough. He held back his temper when she examined his rectum, trying not to think about what his lover was going through in another room.

And then there were the MRIs. Multiple. From every angle imaginable. Rodney was going to be an absolute miserable basket case by the time they were done.

He'd gotten lunch and dinner in the infirmary, only to finally get released to an isolation room in the medical section around 1900 with a promise from Doctor Lam to return at 0600.

He was going out of his mind, about to start climbing the walls. And knowing Rodney wouldn't be much better—and probably worse—just ramped him up more. He paced the tiny room, circling it over and over, fucking freezing because they had only given him a thin pair of scrubs to wear and nothing else.

Had he known…John resisted the urge to punch the wall. It would just delay everything—the de-briefings and their vacation.

He didn't sleep at all. He paced, all night, getting more and more pissed as the night wore on. By the time Lam returned for him, he was so livid he was barely keeping his temper in check, and now was exhausted to boot. He didn't give her a welcoming reception.

"Morning, Colonel. A few more scans and tests and you'll be good to go," she said, setting the breakfast tray on the small bedside table.

He glanced at it, giving it a very obvious dismissal. He didn't say a word, knowing if he opened his mouth, what came out would be neither polite nor nice, in any sense of the word.

Lam raised an eyebrow, obviously feeling his mood. "I expect the tray clean when I get back in fifteen minutes."

"Fuck you." John didn't move from where he was standing in the corner, but he did glare at her. "Let's get the fucking physical 'examinations' over with so we can start the inquisition. What's next? The rack? Am I ever going to see the sky again, or is this just a long, polite way of imprisoning someone?" Yeah. Not polite at all.

"Do you think I’m enjoying this?" she asked, her tone turning just as angry. "I’m under orders, just like you."

"Right now, I really don't give a shit. I walked through the gate into what I thought was friendly territory only to be arrested and examined to within an inch of my life, and I still haven't been told why. I'm afraid my level of sympathy for you is pretty much zero right now. Enjoy your nice bed in your own home last night? I certainly fucking didn't."

"No, actually, I didn't. I was here working all night to make sure I didn't have to keep you any longer so you could leave the Mountain tonight. As for reasons, you need to take it up with General Landry."

He closed his eyes, trying hard to get a rein on his temper. Lashing out wasn't going to solve anything, much as he wanted to. "Where is McKay?"

"Right now? Under the MRI scanner. We had to re-do several of the scans from yesterday because he couldn't stay still."

"Yeah, because trapping a claustrophobic man in a small space for extended periods is designed to get great scans." He sighed. "Can we just get this over with? I'm not hungry, and I want my fucking clothes so I can get the hell out of here."

She sighed. "Follow me."

He did, going with her back out into the main infirmary. He sat where he was told, but otherwise didn't make any moves to help. He wasn't being uncooperative, but he was past being gracious about anything.

Within an hour a set of BDUs appeared on the bed next to him as Lam was scribbling something else in his chart.

He pulled them on, feeling a little better now that he was actually dressed. But his anger was still simmering, and he hadn't seen Rodney since yesterday. "Am I done? And is McKay free to go, too? I want to see him."

"He still has several tests to complete. He wasn't as…cooperative as you were."

"I want to see him." John glanced around, trying to get an idea of where they might have taken Rodney. He hated being stuck in this maze-like complex where every hallway looked alike.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, but that is not possible right now. He'll join you in your de-briefing as soon as he's finished here." The Marine in the room straightened, eyeing John carefully, but making it clearly evident that they weren't above using force.

John couldn't stop the slight snarl he made, noting with grim satisfaction the flicker of unease in Lam's eyes. "I was only 'cooperative' because I know damn well if I wasn't I would be thrown in fucking prison, doctor. I'm not allowed to disobey orders, but kindly remember McKay is a civilian. You're lucky he let you touch him. He's my team member and my responsibility. I think I've been pretty damn accommodating so far, but this is one thing I'm not going to just let go. I'm not leaving until I see McKay and see for myself that he's still in one piece. Because frankly, we've been treated better as POWs, and I don't care if you're under orders or not. I want to see my teammate."

Lam held John's eyes, not backing down. "Doctor McKay signed a contract and agreed to abide by it. He understood he would be subject to any measure of tests and evaluations at the behest of the IOA or SGC."

"I don't really care. I'm not leaving here until I see him."

She finally glanced away, looking at her watch. "He should still be in the MRI room and until the tests are completed you won't be able to."

John was off the cot and headed that way—or what he hoped was that way—before she could stop him. He heard someone talking into a radio behind him, but he ignored it, managing to find Rodney quickly. He snarled again at the restraints they had on his lover, holding him still. John just barely restrained from throwing a punch at the terrified technician who jumped out of his way. "Rodney? Hey, buddy, you okay?" His glare to the scurrying staff was completely at odds with the tone he directed at his lover.

But Rodney was silent, the MRI machine working away.

"Sir," the technician said, stepping closer, putting his hand over the microphone that was connected directly with the scanning room. "He's listening to music. It was the only way to get him calm enough for the scan. He'll be out in less than five minutes. None of us want to have to start again."

John clenched his fists, but nodded. "I'll wait."

The technician nodded, settling back down at the computer console, his eyes on the screen as the machine continued its scan. From the numerical coding, it looked like this was scan three—of this test.

John didn't know how long he had before someone came to get him—or arrest him for real—so he leaned against the wall, watching Rodney, eyes sweeping his lover's body. What he could see of it anyway. Now that he wasn't seeing red, he could see the restraints weren't actually tight. They were probably just there as reminders not to move, rather than actually keeping him secured to the bed. The other man's frame was tense, but John didn't see any signs of major distress. That was something at least. He would feel better after he could talk to Rodney.

As the tech has promised, less than five minutes later and a nurse was entering the scanning room, easing the bed out of the small tube. Rodney's eyes were closed tightly, a small pair of headphones in his ears. Her touch was light and Rodney turned toward her, opening his eyes as she removed the headphones and restraints. They were talking quietly as he helped ease him upright, his body trembling slightly. She pointed toward the control room and Rodney turned immediately, eyes narrowing.

John knew he was being examined as closely as he was examining Rodney—and he had to conclude that neither of them looked great. They had both had a pretty shitty day and night, but at least Rodney was in one piece and looked sane. Anger he could deal with. The hopelessness... John wasn't sure he could do that again.

"Sir," the tech said quietly, grabbing John's attention.

From the narrow gaze Rodney was giving him, John had a feeling he was going to get yelled at later. With a quiet sigh, he turned. "Yes?"

"I can give you five minutes, but then we have to take him down the hall."

"Thank you. How many more tests does he have?"

"Two more and then a psych evaluation."

John flinched a little. His own psyche eval was all he had left to complete, and after this little stunt... It was official, the SGC sucked. With a nod, John moved into the room with the MRI machine. "Hey, buddy."

Rodney's eyes were glued to him, his face paler than John would have liked. "Hey," he said, his voice rough.

Aware that they were being watched, John couldn't pull his lover into his arms like he really wanted to. But he did hop up on the bed and bump their shoulders together. "So, as a welcome back to Earth party, I rate this as a one. I'm not very impressed with the decorations, and alcohol would have been nice."

Rodney bent his head and laughed, the sound edging on desperate. "I just need this to be done," he said quietly.

"Yeah." John swallowed hard. "Soon. They said you have two more tests, and then the psych eval. I don't think there are any more MRIs left though. So that's something, at least."

"Yeah. Yesterday's didn't go so well."

"Since I'm guessing they did the same tests on you as they did on me...Yeah." John sighed, bumping their shoulders again. "I'm thinking comfort food for dinner tonight. We'll stop and pick it up on the way to your apartment. There may need to be chocolate involved for dessert."

"And alcohol," Rodney said quietly.

"I think there was still some left from the last time we were here." John looked up to see Lam and the hard-faced Marine trying to drill holes in his head with their eyes. "I think my time is up, buddy. Hang in there. It's almost over, okay?" He just hoped they would cut him some slack. A court martial wasn't really in his plans for this week.

Rodney snorted. "Not much choice."

John patted his lover on the leg, wishing he could do more. From the slight look of gratitude Rodney threw him, he knew his lover had taken it as it was meant—as comfort and a promise for later. Sliding off the bed, John sighed and moved back over to Lam. On the plus side, he wasn't so angry he couldn't think anymore. On the downside, he was now so fucking exhausted he couldn't think.

Lam gestured to the Marine beside her and a moment later John had a mug of coffee in his hand. "The General's waiting for you, Colonel."

Wincing, John sipped at the bitter brew, throwing her and the Marine a brief look of gratitude. "No psych eval?"

"No, sir. Wasn't required."

Huh. John closed his eyes for a moment, gathering up his reserves. He had to be Colonel Sheppard if he was going to get through this briefing. With any luck, today's briefing would be short. "All right, take me to your leader."

Lam rolled her eyes, but gestured for John to walk next to her, the Marine following behind. "If it's any consolation, I'm sorry."

He sighed. "I know, and I am sorry. This just took me by surprise, and being... examined... that completely isn't pleasant on a good day. I still feel like a prisoner, but that's not your fault."

"I understand."

"Thanks for the coffee."

"I thought you could use it."

Since he had almost drained the cup, he finished it off and handed it back. "More than a little." With another nod, he left her at the door to the infirmary ward and followed his escort through the winding halls. When he arrived in the briefing room, he noticed SG-1 was there, and collectively winced at his appearance.

Mitchell and Carter offered him an apologetic smile, while Jackson simply rolled his eyes and looked at Landry. "Was this really necessary?"

John glanced at the general, who was also taking in the fact that while he had been given new clothes, John hadn't been allowed to shower or shave since he got here. And he was pretty sure the circles under his eyes would clue them in as to how much sleep he got last night. Curious as to the general's answer, he gave the other man a half-hearted salute and dropped into a chair without waiting to be given permission. Without the cold fury, he was really tired now.

"It was out of my hands," Landry said simply. "We'll try to keep this brief, Colonel."

John nodded, and was about a heartbeat away from kissing Jackson when the scientist's huge travel mug of the good coffee was pushed across the table. "I'm sorry to say I don't know how coherent I'm going to be today. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have, though."

Landry nodded and then proceeded to grill him about everything that had happened over the course of the last few months. Four hours later—and several more cups of coffee—and John was just about done.

He had to pause and rethink his last statement when he got quite a few concerned looks his way. Replaying it, he realized he had started slurring more words than not. He shook himself slightly. "Sorry, sir. What was the question again?"

Landry narrowed his eyes and turned to Carter. "Can you see what's been keeping our good Doctor? Also, check on the status of their ride."

He managed to track her moving out, swallowing another few huge sips of coffee, finishing off the latest cup. It was keeping him conscious at least. He was pretty sure he was hungry, but that concern had been set aside in favor of just staying awake for now. "Right, the space pirates. I was briefing you on their organization—"

"It can wait," Landry said instead, cutting him off.

"Sure. But with all due respect sir, unless you keep me talking, I'm going to just pass out on your nice table here." He glanced over at Mitchell, who was directly next to him. "They took a lot of blood. And I'm pretty sure refusing breakfast was a bad idea, but I was kind of pissed off at the time."

Mitchell rolled his eyes. "And they call me the dumb one." He turned to Landry. "Can we pick this up in the morning before they meet with the IOA, sir?"

John was fairly sure he had just been insulted, but he decided he really didn't care if it got him out of here. Now he just had to find Rodney...

A few blurry minutes later and there was a turkey sandwich in front of him and Mitchell gave him orders to "eat". Carter had yet to return.

Working on autopilot, John pulled off small bites, eating slowly. By the time he had gotten most of it down, he was feeling a little better. Still more than a little out of it—the copious amounts of caffeine probably hadn't been a good idea on top of everything else. He was at least able to get his brain semi-online. "McKay all right?"

He got a shrug from Mitchell. "Haven't heard from Carter yet."

John tried to shake off the thick wool over his brain. "I need to get to him. He was having a hard time this morning. I need to make sure he's okay."

"We're trying to get your ride home lined up right now. You're done for the day, so let him come to you."

Home... god that was where the bed was, and it was sounding better and better. But... "If he's having a panic attack, I can help."

"I'm sure you can, but we've got it. Just…relax."

He snorted. "If I relax, I'll be unconscious."

"Maybe," Mitchell conceded with a nod. Carter entered a minute later and it was only then that John realized Landry and Jackson were no longer in the room.

He hated being so out if it that he hadn't even noticed them leaving, But that wasn't important right now. "McKay?"

"Doctor Lam is bringing him topside in a few minutes. Think you're ready to go home?" she asked, looking at John.

"God, yes. What time do I report in the morning?" John stood slowly. The room spun a little, but he knew it was a lot less than it would have been if he hadn't eaten anything.

"0900," Carter replied. "Daniel's going to follow the pool car and help get you settled and make sure you have everything you need for the next few nights."

He blinked a few times until there was just one of her. "Oh. Okay. I have no idea what's at the apartment. Alcohol. I remember we left some of that."

Carter made a strange face as he walked with him to the elevator. "Yeah, that might not be what you actually need, Sheppard."

"Probably not." He tried for a smirk. "Right now, I just want another sandwich and my bed, to be honest with you. Do you at least know if that was all the torture, or will there be more surprises later?"

"On the medical front, I think you're done. As for the IOA…" she let her voice trail off as they stepped into the elevator, the doors closing a few seconds later. She hit the button for the top floor. They'd have to transfer elevators to get to the surface, but they were halfway there.

"Any ideas why they seem to be on a witch hunt? I can understand being a little paranoid after Caldwell, but Atlantis is pretty isolated. We only have the people the SGC clears to send."

"Right now it doesn't matter," she said with a sigh. "We've had some incidents here, small things, but it has everyone on edge." They switched to the second elevator, their last leg until they got to the surface.

He sighed. "Right. So for whatever reason McKay and I get to bear the brunt of it. Lovely. Are we at least still going to get our leave time? Because to be perfectly honest with you, Colonel, the last six months have been pretty hellish. We're both badly in need of some down time."

"Yes. None of that has changed as far as I know," Carter said with a smile. "And from what I read, you certainly can use it."

He nodded. "As much as I love my city, I envy you guys sometimes. When you go home, you get to shut down for the day and have a life outside of being a military officer. It'll be nice to not be Colonel Sheppard for a few days."

Carter smiled and nodded, ushering him out of the elevator and through the last check-point. John could already see the outside light. "I'm not sure I could live here all the time. There's always something to do."

"Exactly." He sighed. He was still feeling a little wobbly, although at least he wasn't seeing double anymore. As they reached the surface, he started looking around for Rodney.

"Your car should be…" Carter started only to break off when she spotted an idling dark Town Car. "Here you are and," she said, ducking briefly, before turning to John with a smile. "I think McKay's already asleep in the back seat."

John managed a small chuckle. "Since we're being driven home, someone sending a car for us tomorrow?"

"Yes. Daniel has all that information for you. He'll be following you home to make sure you're settled and to do any grocery store runs if you need anything."

This time he did smile, and actually managed to salute without killing himself. "Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow then, Colonel."

Carter smiled. "We drew straws and Daniel won. I think he might be expecting a meal before you head home."

Laughing, John let her lead him to the car. "Nice to know babysitting us was the winning draw and not the losing."

"Well with the possibility of food," she said, opening the rear passenger door for him. And she'd been right. Rodney was out cold, his face pressed to the glass on the other side.

"Of course. It's the least I can do." John climbed in, just barely restraining himself from crawling all the way over and snuggling up against Rodney's body. "Once I can think straight again, we'll plan something. Thanks again."

"You're welcome," she said, glancing behind the car. "And it looks like Daniel's set and ready to go. Get some rest and we'll see you tomorrow morning."

She closed the door, and John slumped down. Temptation was too great—and it could be passed off as just being comfortable with each other—so John swung around and laid across the back seat, his head on Rodney's leg. Yes, much more comfortable than leaning against the window.

He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until someone was shaking him awake.

Daniel was hovering at his door, hand resting on John's shoulder. "It'll be more comfortable inside."

"Nnng." John sat up, blinking, the fog around his brain not giving up so easily. He did shake his lover gently though. "R'ney? Le's go to bed. Be more comfy."

His lover sniffed, but didn't wake.

"Come on. Let's get you inside and then we can come back for him," Daniel suggested. "The Airmen already brought in your bags and left them in the living room. I actually sent him to the store in my car for some of the basics—eggs, milk, bread, coffee."

"Coffee?" John latched on to the most important of that list. He gave Rodney another shake, but when his lover still didn't move, he wasn't coherent enough to resist Daniel taking his elbow and steering him inside. John blinked around the apartment blearily. It felt like forever and yesterday since he had last been here.

"Where do you want to go? Spare bedroom? Living room?"

He opened his mouth and then closed it again, just enough cells firing to prevent him from outing himself spectacularly. "Living room," he finally said. "I have to make sure Rodney is in and settled before I can rest."

Daniel nodded, helping John to the couch. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Let's see how cooperative McKay's gonna be."

John didn't sit back, knowing he was at the end of his resources. The intensive tests and stress of the last twenty-four hours had wiped out what little reserves he had. As it was, he cringed knowing he had done even part of a briefing in this condition. Oh well, tomorrow was soon enough to worry about that. He was just grateful when, a few minutes later, Rodney came stumbling in with Daniel's help. "Hey, buddy."

It was Daniel who replied. "He's not very…coherent," he said, already steering Rodney toward the master bedroom and the very big and obvious fetish bed.

John pushed himself up, wobbling, but not falling over, and moved to Rodney's side. He was grateful, in a way, that it was Jackson helping them. As the civilian on a first-contact team, John was pretty sure he had received his fair share of coddling from his teammates. It wouldn't cover every move John made, but he hoped that, along with his own exhaustion, any slips would be shrugged off. "I can get him settled if you want. I need to make sure he's okay anyway."

"No trouble," Daniel said, waving him off. "The Airman has my car anyway so you're stuck with me until he gets back."

John sighed, trailing along behind them. He saw Daniel's eyebrows go up when he saw the bed, but John did his best to pretend he didn't know what the bed was for. Instead he went for the "bed, what bed? What really big bondage bed are you talking about?" level of ignorance. Once his lover was sitting on the edge of the big bed, John knelt down to start pulling off his lover's shoes so he could at least be a little comfortable.

"How long?" The question was quiet, thoughtful.

"What?" John got the second one off and stood, using the bed to keep from falling back on his ass.

"I know what it's like when you worry about every touch or look or word."

Jerking, John looked at him with wide eyes, too out of it to hide his reactions well. "W…what do you mean?"

Daniel's eyes were clear, even, non-judgmental. "You know what I'm talking about."

Fear spiked through him, clearing his head. John swallowed hard. "I..."

"I'm not going to say anything," Daniel said with a quiet sigh. "I’m in no position to talk, to make any kind of judgments."

Blinking a few times, John connected those dots. "Wait... you're...?" He did a rapid run through of what he knew of the Stargate program. Holy shit... "O'Neill?" It came out before he had time to stop it, and winced at his own complete and utter lack of tact. "You don't have to answer that."

Daniel had turned a light pink. "It's hard to be…discreet at times and right now the distance makes things even harder."

He had guessed right? John blinked a few more times, then glanced back at Rodney. Wow. "About a year and a half now."

The archeologist nodded. "That's what I thought."

Licking his lips, John couldn't bring himself to look back over, instead watching Rodney. "We that obvious?"

His lover was only upright thanks to the support of the corner bedpost. "No," Daniel said, shifting closer to the bed. "I've been told I'm observant."

Glancing over, John smiled a little shyly. "So…not a problem then? I like my job. I really don't want to lose it."

"I’m not going to say anything and others won't either. Not like some of us can throw the first stone."

Since Daniel knew anyway, John gave up and sat down next to Rodney, shifting to wrap an arm around him when his lover sort of leaned, falling against his side. "How long have you and O'Neill...?"

"It's been…on and off for eight years or so." He shrugged. "It's been rocky but fulfilling in its own unique way."

"Wow." John shook his head. Eight years... "It's... harder, doing what we do, and having this, and having to hide it. Some day when I'm not three steps from passing out again, if you're okay with it, I'd love to talk. I think you're probably the only person in existence who actually knows what it's like to try and do this, have this, and be teammates and colleagues at the same time."

Daniel offered a quiet smile. "Sure. I'm not sure how much detail I can go into, but…" He nodded. "I'll answer whatever I can."

John snorted softly, which turned into a smile when the movement made Rodney snuggle in a little and mutter at him. "I don't really want the dirty details. More... I'm not a civilian, and I think the scientists who go off-world, who put themselves in these situations because they want to... it's the bravest thing I've ever seen. And the hardest since I... care, a lot... about getting him home safe. I'd be interested to hear if you had found anything really helpful, or if it was too stifling. It won't be exactly the same as us, but..."

"But it helps to know, to hear about it from someone else." Daniel nodded. "I understand. And you look exhausted. Why don't you get yourself into bed? I'll wait for the Airman and then head out. I'll swing back in the morning around 0800 to pick you up. All of your paperwork is on the kitchen table and I think I saw a fat envelope from a travel agent. That might be your vacation stuff."

John wanted so badly to just curl up and go to sleep with Rodney pulled close, but he hesitated, feeling bad about leaving Daniel like that...

Daniel must have read his mind. "He shouldn’t be that much longer. I'll be out of your hair soon."

"Thanks." As the adrenaline rush faded, John found himself fading right along with it. The next thing he knew, gentle hands were pushing him back, urging him on to the bed. He pried open his eyes—when had he closed them?—to see a very amused Daniel. "Wha…?"

"Go to sleep. I'll lock the door behind me."

"'Kay." John finally gave in, managing to at least crawl to the middle of the bed. With Daniel's help they got Rodney up too, and before he knew it, John was curled around his lover, and he finally gave in completely to sleep.

When John woke next, the sun was low in the sky, the day mostly gone. The bedside clock blinked reassuringly at him, clicking over to the next minute.

4:02

His stomach gave a very loud protesting rumble. Sitting up, he scrubbed at his face. He felt grimy and still tired, but he also knew it would be better to get up for a bit and move around, then go back to bed early tonight. He looked down at his lover, still sleeping. John poked him in the arm gently a few times. "Hey, Rodney? If you can wake up, you probably need to eat."

Rodney snuffled into the pillow, burrowing in deeper.

Chuckling, John left him to sleep a little longer, padding out into the living room to see what Daniel and the Airman who had driven them here had left.

A few items of mail were on the kitchen table, including the really large envelope from a travel agent. The rest of the mail was in several bins next to the desk in the living room. A few packages, but mostly letters and magazines.

The fridge held a few things—mostly basics. He could make an omelet and toast and coffee. There was some pasta in the pantry along with a few other odds and ends.

What surprised him most was the pill bottle on the kitchen table next to the mail with Rodney's name on it. Prescribed by Doctor Lam. Diazepam.

He raised an eyebrow at it, resolved to ask his lover as soon as the other man was awake. In the meantime, John started a 'breakfast for dinner' meal for them both, opening the package from the travel agent first, curious as to what Peter had ended up booking them.

Two tickets were on top—first class to Hawaii. John's first thought was "holy hell, Hawaii," which was quickly followed by "surfing!"

He stared at them for a good long time—and if he bounced on his toes a little grinning from ear to ear, there was no one there to see him—before reluctantly setting them aside to see what else was in the pack.

There was a lot of paperwork and brochures and just…stuff. There were two shipping notices as well. FedEx receipts for packages to be held for guest check in. What the hell had they sent?

He flipped through a few more pages before finally finding their hotel reservations on Lanai Island—the most private and uncrowded of all the Hawaiian islands. The resort was exclusive and fully fetish. Besides the main hotel there were several "bungalows" spread out on the grounds. From the description in the brochure they sounded more like small homes than a bungalow.

And from the looks of the reservation, they'd been booked into one of them.

Holy hell.

Sun, sand, surfing, and bondage. John was pretty sure life just didn't get better than that. He wanted to go right now. Still bouncing a little, he gathered up the whole collection of stuff and went back into the bedroom. He dumped it on the bed, and crawled up to shake Rodney again, grinning like mad. "Hey, you have to get up and see this. It's our vacation stuff."

"Mmm?"

John bounced the bed a little. "C'mon. I wanna show you this. We're going to Hawaii!"

Rodney shifted on the bed, lifting a heavy eyelid at John. "What?"

Remembering the little bottle, John tried to tone it down. He straddled Rodney's legs and smiled. "Our vacation stuff is here. We're booked in a bungalow at a bondage resort in Hawaii, right on the beach."

It took a few seconds before John's words registered. Rodney opened his eyes a little wider and smiled up at John. "That's good."

John couldn't help it, he grinned again, and bounced, gently since he didn't want to hurt Rodney. "It's like the perfect vacation. You. Bondage. Sex. Surfing."

"Lots of sunscreen."

John nodded. "Of course. And from the brochures," he grabbed it and handed it over, "it looks like there are very specially equipped loungers on the beach. So I can tie you down with the hood pulled up for shade, and you can watch me surf one day. I miss surfing so fucking much."

His lover paged through the brochure, his eyes flickering over the pages. "I wonder if they have supplies available on site. I don't know how much we can get through on the airplanes."

John pulled out another brochure, which detailed some of the equipment the bungalows were stocked with, handing it over. "Oh, and there are a few slips for FedEx packages shipped there and waiting for us—no idea what those are. And for anything else other than a few of our favorites, like the ring and your plug, they have some stores on-site."

Rodney glanced up, a slightly worried expression on his face. "FedEx?"

Shrugging, John picked up and waved the slips. "You know Peter and Harry. There's no telling."

"No kidding." Rodney let his arms fall back to the bed, brochures still in his hands. "So, we're home."

Setting aside the papers, John stretched out so he was blanketing his lover. "Yeah. Yesterday and this morning really sucked. Daniel helped us get home, and will be by in the morning to pick us up, since neither of us was fit to drive." He caressed Rodney's cheek. "How are you doing?"

"Little…fuzzy," he said after a moment's thought. "Happy to be here even though I don't remember how that happened exactly."

"You were pretty out of it." John smiled softly. "I saw the bottle of valium on the counter. I'm going to guess Lam made you take one?"

"More than one. It was the only way to get me under the scanner."

"That bad, huh?" John kissed his nose. "How about now? Feeling better?"

"Really relaxed," Rodney said with a slightly drugged smile.

Chuckling, John had to kiss him for real, letting his tongue slip inside briefly. "I don't think you need to take any more of them. The worst should be over. As for now, I've got breakfast on. Oh shit! Breakfast!" John was up and back into the kitchen as he realized he had left eggs in the pan cooking.

They weren't entirely black, but were heading in that direction when he pulled the pan off the stove, dumping the ruined eggs in the sink.

"Well, shit." He sighed, cleaning out the pan. He called back into the bedroom as he cleaned. "I'm going to have to start all over again, Rodney, so if you want to come out here, it's probably better if I don't walk away and get sidetracked again."

He got an indistinct reply as he turned back to the stove and breakfast. A few minutes later, he heard shuffling feet and spotted a now-naked Rodney ambling out of the bedroom. He was rubbing his upper arms as he headed for the thermostat, shifting it a little higher.

Grinning, John was amused that his lover had taken the first available opportunity to strip. He could still remember Rodney's reluctance to be naked in the apartment at first. Now, if it was just them, the clothes came off pretty much immediately. "Another nice thing about Hawaii—it's warm enough there that you being naked for pretty much our entire vacation won't be an issue."

"I just worry about burning. I have fair skin," Rodney said, stepping close to John, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind. "And I don't like feeling this naked. No rings, no collar…"

Turning his head, John brushed their lips together. "I won't let you burn, I promise. I have plans for your body, and they don't include not being able to touch you. As for the rest... We're done with the physicals, I think, but I don't want to assume anything. We can probably get away with your collar at least, and while we're here the cock ring. If you want to go dig them out of our bags, I'll put them on you."

"I'll be back," Rodney said, already heading back to the bedroom before John's last word faded.

Grinning, John returned to the eggs, making sure he didn't burn them again this time. He had gone for easier this time, just frying up a few over easy, and plated them over toast. By the time he turned around, it was to see Rodney was back as well.

His lover had a shy expression on his face as he held out the collar, nipple rings, and cock ring.

It almost took his breath away, the surge of love and affection he had for this man. Setting down the plates, John pulled Rodney into his arms, kissing him deeply. "Love you so much."

Rodney kissed him back warmly, lazily, arms wrapping around to tug John closer.

They stayed like that for several minutes, making out and touching each other all over. Finally, though, John pulled back. "Lemme get you accessorized, and then we can eat before this gets cold."

"Eating would be good…as would other things," Rodney said with a smile.

"Oh, never fear, other things are most definitely on the agenda. I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little desperate for a shower. So shower sex!"

"Mmm…smelled worse."

"True, but I'm itchy and I really want to shave." John scrubbed at his beard—and it was a fledgling beard now.

"Smell like you."

"You like me unwashed?" John grinned as he finished attaching the items Rodney had brought.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "It just…smells more like you and I like how you smell. Not that you have a horrible odor or anything…"

John leaned in, inhaling against Rodney's stomach. "I get it. I feel the same way about you. When you get all sweaty and dirty, it's really hot. I have to work at not jumping you every five feet when you run with me."

"Well, it's hard to do that when we're moving."

Nuzzling, John flicked his tongue out to taste a bit, humming softly. It was an act of will to pull away again. "Food. Eggs are kind of gross if you let them get cold, and I've already thrown enough away today. I'm not making it a third time."

Rodney chuckled. "Okay. Where do you want me?"

John held up a finger, darting to the living room and returning with a cushion off the couch. He put it on the floor next to his chair, sitting down.

With a smile, Rodney lowered himself onto the cushion, clasping his hands behind his back. When he tilted his head and looked up at John through his eyelashes, John had to pause for a long moment, fighting the urge to jump his lover right there.

"You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?" He had to reach out, touching, cupping Rodney's face in his hand. He didn't try to hide anything, letting Rodney see it all in his face, in his eyes.

Rodney turned his head, placing a kiss in the center of John's palm, leaning into his touch.

John made a soft noise, unable to put into words how full of emotion he was. He scooted his chair so Rodney could lean against him, needing the connection with his sub. Swallowing hard, John got a small forkful of food and held it out.

With an even gaze, Rodney held John's eyes, taking the fork-full from him.

They were both quiet, neither of them breaking the eye contact as John fed them both. The silence was warm, comfortable, wrapping around them both and dropping them each into their own headspace.

When John cleaned the plate off, he leaned down and captured Rodney's mouth in a deep kiss, his lover giving and taking in return.

When they broke for air, they were both panting a little. "Go start the shower, and make sure there's lube in there. I'll do the dishes and be right there. I need to be inside you, soon."

"Yes, sir," Rodney replied, pressing one last kiss to John's lips before rising to his feet, heading into the master bedroom.

John had to press hard against his groin to get some control, before quickly scrubbing the dishes and following his lover back. He heard the shower going, but Rodney wasn't in the main bedroom, so John started stripping.

Once he was naked, he headed into the bathroom finding his lover kneeling in the middle of the room, head bowed and waiting for him.

John took a few deep breaths before stepping forward. He pulled Rodney up, and they stepped into the shower together. He had to smile when he found the shower-cuff set they had bought to keep on Earth already waiting for him. Taking advantage, he locked them into place and then secured Rodney to the wall, hands high above his head, legs spread wide. John started with his back to the wall, so he could kiss and play, and then he would turn his lover and join them together after he washed the back side.

Rodney was so relaxed and pliable, making quiet, contented noises as John washed him, touched him.

Using his hands, the washcloth, and his mouth, John covered every inch of Rodney's body. Before he turned his lover, he kissed the weeping tip of the erection standing proud for him.

This was so perfect, so right. It was slow and sensual, giving them the time to simply connect.

When Rodney was re-secured to the wall with his ass out. John took his time. He washed and kissed and licked every square inch of his lover's back, before pushing his tongue as deep as he could inside him.

Rodney shuddered as soon as John's tongue pushed in deep, a quiet sobbing, moan his only verbal reply.

He rimmed until his tongue and jaw were aching. Grabbing the small tube of lube from nearby, John finally pushed a single finger inside Rodney's body. His lover didn't need a lot of prep these days, but John was in no hurry. He rested his head on the curve of those luscious cheeks, watching his own finger slowly disappear and reappear.

It took a few minutes before John heard the first break in his lover's voice, the first whimper, the first pleading sob.

Taking pity on him, John pushed a second finger in along with the first, still moving slowly, making sure he brushed against Rodney's prostate as much as possible.

"Please…" he whimpered, trembling and shuddering under John's hands.

"Shh. Just want to touch you for a while. So beautiful..."

Rodney quieted, letting John continue. He was breathing heavily, moaning with each exhale, letting himself get lost in the sensations.

Eventually, John pushed a third finger in, and then, because he could, a fourth.

His lover's channel was tight around his fingers at first, but slowly loosened as John worked him carefully. Maybe on vacation he'd fist him, put his whole hand inside. He could work Rodney up to it, stretching him wider with each successive day.

Curious, he brought it up, talking slowly as he finger-fucked his lover higher and higher. "Remember when I stretched you really far? What do you think about me fisting you? We could go slow, so it would be on the last day of vacation. That way you wouldn't be too sore early on for everything else I want to do to you."

"Not…not last…" Rodney finally whispered. "Sore…plane…"

Humming, John nodded without lifting his head. "You'd feel it the whole way home, and remember it, remember what it felt like to have me inside you like that."

"Want you."

"Soon."

"John…"

John nipped at the flesh he was nuzzling.

Rodney whimpered and John felt a tremor roll through Rodney's body.

Pulling his fingers free, John finally stood up. Because he had worked Rodney so loose, he was able to just glide right in, making them both whimper.

His lover sobbed a few more times, tugging at the restraints holding his arms above his head.

But John wanted slow. His balls were aching with the need to come, but he wasn't ready yet. He wanted this connection, and he wasn't ready to end it yet. So instead of fucking, he just pushed close, nuzzling Rodney's neck and pressing little kisses to wet skin.

John could feel his lover trembling; feel each and every shift of his muscles. Rodney was panting heavily, moaning with every breath, eyes closed tightly together.

"Just a few days of briefings," John whispered softly. "We can get through them, and then it's just you and me and the beach. No worries, no stress, no hurrying. I'll take you so slow and sweet, until we're both sobbing for release. By the end of the week, you'll be a puddle of pleasure."

"Please," Rodney begged.

John licked a few drops of water off Rodney's skin. "Not yet. I want to stay just like this, part of you, inside you."

"Vacation…please…"

"Soon. I want you to think of this when we're in briefings. Think about how I feel inside you, what we'll be doing in just a few days. Let it get you through, keep you calm when they try to provoke us. Because they don't matter. This is all that matters." John thrust his hips a little, then stilled again.

Rodney's breath caught in his throat and he groaned, nodding. "Yes."

With a little possessive growl, John nipped, and finally started to move, slowly, pulling almost all the way out before pushing completely back in.

The moans and groans that he pulled out of Rodney were perfect, beautiful.

His lover was incoherent with need by the time John finally started to speed up. He loosened the Ancient cock ring just enough so Rodney would be able to find release. "You can come when I do."

John got the barest nod in response as Rodney bore down, squeezing John's cock.

They were both too close to the edge to last much longer. A few more thrusts and John came with a deep growl, biting down hard on Rodney's shoulder.

His lover shuddered hard and came, his body stiffening momentarily before the orgasm rolled through him.

John stayed plastered against Rodney's back as they both shivered through the aftershocks. He didn't want to pull out, wanted to stay inside Rodney forever. Finally, though, he knew they were both getting a little pruney. He pulled out with a hiss, grabbing the washcloth to clean away the traces of their love before turning off the water, releasing Rodney and leading him out to be toweled dry.

His lover was so pliant and subdued, shifting when John moved him, barely holding his own body upright.

John led him back to the bed, pushing him down into it and crawling in close. He just wanted to hold Rodney right now, feel their hearts beating together.

"Sleep?"

"If you can stay awake for a little while, it'll be better. We slept most of the day, and I don't want us to get too turned around."

"Comfy."

"Me, too." John rubbed his nose into Rodney's neck.

Rodney purred pushing back against John, folding his hands over John's which were lying against his stomach.

There wasn't much space between them, but John tried to get them closer anyway, tightening his arms a little and pushing his leg between Rodney's to twine their ankles together. He didn't know how long they stayed like that, breathing in unison.

"Love you," Rodney whispered.

"Love you, too," John breathed it, pressing his lips to the bite mark from earlier.

"I want…want to just go away…get away from all of this."

"I know. We're almost there. We just have to get through a few days of answering questions, and then we're home free. To Hawaii and the beach and submission and sex."

"They used my sessions with Kate…threatened to keep me here."

John wanted to hurt whoever had said that. "I won't let them."

He felt Rodney shiver. "I…they touched me, John. They know I…know I've been taken…"

John's arms tightened again. "I figured they would. They did the same to me. I'm so sorry. If I had known that was coming..."

"They were convinced I'd been raped."

"What?" John sat up a little, turning Rodney so he could see him. "Why? Christ, I'm so sorry."

"They wouldn't believe me," Rodney said quietly, his eyes wide. "They wouldn't listen when I told them that it wasn't their business on how I spent my spare time."

John hugged his lover, pulling him close again. "Are they going to push it? You're a civilian and Canadian. It really isn't any of their business how or with who you choose to be with."

"I had to go through two psych evaluations. Please tell me they're done."

John sighed. "I don't know. I thought we were both done with that end of things, but... We'll get through it, okay? We have allies in the SGC."

Rodney huffed. "You mean besides the ones involved in the witch hunt?"

"Yeah." He kissed Rodney softly. "I know it's hard, but... we can't change it right now. All we can do is go in there, be on our toes, answer their questions, and get the hell out. So try not to let it worry you too much. I know that's asking a lot, but... I don't like seeing you upset over something we can't do anything about."

"They shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"I agree. I talked to Carter about it some. I guess Caldwell wasn't the only incident and now the IOA is overreacting, setting everyone on edge. It was just our really terrible luck that we walked into the middle of it."

"I knew they were paranoid, but that was…that was horrible."

He rolled them so he was pressing Rodney into the mattress. "What can I do to make it better?"

"Let's just go to the airport."

"If I didn't know it would result in me being hunted down and brought up on charges of desertion of post, I would."

"They wouldn't. They need you."

"Doesn't matter. I can't go AWOL without serious consequences." John smiled gently. "If I could, I would though."

"Time machine? Speed us through the next few days."

Chuckling, John kissed him. "It will be... well, not fine, but we'll get through it. We always do. And knowing what we have waiting for us when it's over will make it easier, if we let it."

"I'll be yours completely for ten days."

John hummed. "Exactly. It's all that matters. Just keep that in mind, and you'll do fine."

"You'll fuck me so much I'll be sore for days."

"And when you aren't getting actively fucked, you'll be plugged, caged, cuffed, restrained."

"Promise?"

Smiling a bit wider, since Rodney knew he took that word seriously, John nodded. "I promise. I'm going to take very, very good care of you."

And John got the unguarded, broad pleased smile that only he saw in rare moments. It took his breath away. "I have plans. So many plans for how many ways I'm going to make you fly."

"Only if I can make you fly, too."

"You will. I love feeling your hands on my body. I will want you to touch me, make me feel good, too."

"Want you aching and sore because you've come so much…"

John shivered a little at the idea. "Yes. God, yes..."

"Want you to feel so good, to do everything to me you've wanted…"

John had to lick his way into Rodney's mouth, moaning softly as he did. When they broke for air, he smiled down at his lover, his partner. "I think it's safe to say that by the end we're both going to be so pleasure-drunk, it will be hard to walk straight."

"I hope so." Rodney offered a shy smile.

"It's a worthy goal that we'll be shooting for."

"I hope I'll be having issues walking because you'd fucked me so much."

John hummed. "I snagged a tube of Carson's medicated cream before we left. So as long as I'm careful, and we use that to help counteract any soreness.... I want your ass to know exactly who it belongs to."

Rodney wrapped his arms a little tighter around John. "I think a little orgasm denial might be needed to make sure I understand…that I get the full picture."

Laughing, John nodded. "I think you may be right. And since we're going to be in a fetish resort, I'm going to take you out and show you off a little, too. You won't be going anywhere without me, and you'll be leashed if we're outside our bungalow. You'll be in much heavier gear that we usually use on a daily basis, so I can stop and play with you whenever, and however, I want."

"Even gagged and blindfolded?"

"Some of the time, yes. I like hearing you, and seeing your eyes, so not the whole time. But we will play with sensory deprivation."

"Okay," Rodney smiled, easily, sweetly until it morphed into a yawn. "Sorry."

Chuckling, John rolled off him. "S'okay. I'm right there with you, but we really need to try to stay up for a little while. At least until eight or nine tonight. Otherwise we'll get our hours completely turned around."

"It feels like I could sleep until next week."

"That's the valium still in your system. Unless you really, really think you need it, I don't want you taking any more. If Lam asks, we'll lie."

"The…they made me. I didn't want it, but I probably wasn't as…lucid or cooperative at the time."

"I know. It's not a big deal for one time, but I don't like how out of things it makes you. And you don't need it. You were just having an understandably rough day yesterday."

"They had just shoved things…" Rodney whispered, shuddering. "Carson's so much…gentler when he has to examine me. This was…it hurt."

John pulled his lover into his arms again, pressing soft kisses into skin. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could have done something to stop it, but I couldn't. When they were examining me I was hoping they were being... a little more considerate... with you, but..."

"No one should touch me there except you."

Tightening his grip, John tried to offer some comfort. "I know, buddy. If there was anything I could have done to stop it without landing myself in prison, I would have."

"Need a 'hands off' sign or 'do not enter' or something."

"We could get it tattooed across your ass. 'Property of John Sheppard. Do not touch.'"

"Mmm…maybe," Rodney said, shifting closer. "Think it would work?"

Chuckling, John shrugged. "Possibly, but I wouldn't want to mar those beautiful cheeks like that. If you wanted to get a permanent mark, I actually like the idea of matching tattoos, but I would want something that would compliment you."

"Mmm," Rodney said thoughtfully, not saying no. "If there was a plug or something all the time it would make it hard for other people to touch me inside there."

"You just want an excuse to always have your plug." John laughed softly, kissing Rodney's nose. "Not that I'm against that, mind you."

"It would make it difficult for someone to touch me there."

"We are just about to the end of your two-months without. I know you've missed it."

"Missed doesn't even begin to describe what I feel."

John hugged him closer. "I'm sorry. I hate having to punish you like that. But you know why I can't back down once we get to that point."

"Doesn't mean I like it."

"I know. I don't either." Trailing a hand down, John squeezed his lover's ass. "Tell you what; you've been very good the last few weeks. Better than just good, with everything you've had to deal with. And coming home started out surprisingly traumatic. You only had a few days left with no plug—given everything else, I'm willing to go ahead and let you have one again a little early. If you want to go get it, I'll let you wear it now, and to the SGC while we debrief this week, especially since I know it will make us both feel a lot more comfortable given the exams."

Rodney rocked closer, lips brushing John's. "Really?"

John smiled into the kiss. "Really. You've more than earned it."

"I've been good."

Kissing Rodney again, John smiled gently. "Go get your favorite—it's in my bag—and the lube."

"Can I…I need to use the bathroom first."

John nodded. "Go ahead and do what you need to. I'll be right here."

Rodney kissed him before crawling out of the bed and heading to the bathroom. It didn't take him long, but after the toilet flush John heard the water running, so his lover was probably cleaning himself up. A few moments later, he emerged and headed to John's duffel, rifling through and coming up with a mid-sized clear acrylic plug and the lube. He jumped up on the bed and gave John the items before shifting around again and offering his ass to John.

John took the time to caress, running his hand over each cheek, and all the way down the crack.

His lover hummed, letting his head hang down between his arms. "So good. Love when you touch me."

"I love touching you." John wasn't trying to tease, but he loved Rodney's ass. He leaned in, pressing multiple kisses to each pert cheek.

"Mmm…so good."

Slicking up a finger, John pressed it slowly inside Rodney. He didn't push in far, and he didn't try to hit his lover's prostate. But he knew how much Rodney loved being filled, and John wanted to erase the memories from yesterday. Replace them with this, with them.

After the shower sex, Rodney was still pretty loose, but he still moaned, shifting his knees to spread himself open wider.

John touched him, and kissed and licked and caressed. He resisted the urge to mark his lover—right now he wanted him thinking of pleasure, not pain—even pleasurable pain. Pulling his finger free, John slicked the plug and pushed it in slowly, until it was fully seated inside Rodney's body.

Rodney was purring and humming in pleasure and contentment, his cock red and hard and leaking.

John urged him to lie down on his back. Once Rodney was arranged on the bed, he started to lick and press light kisses all along his length, tasting the sweet flavor of McKay.

His lover was completely pliant and tense at the same time, letting his body react to the sensations John was providing. The noises were perfect—soft exhales and moans, all pleasure.

Since there was no rush after the shower sex orgasms, John took his time, drawing it out. He didn't even take Rodney completely into his mouth until his lover's hips had started making tiny, abortive thrusts. Smiling, John gave him what he was asking for—begging actually, profusely for—and started to blow him in earnest.

But first he made sure the ring was snug against Rodney's skin. There was no reason for him to accidentally come before John was ready—even if it was tomorrow.

John lost himself a little then, in the glide and slide of Rodney between his lips. Finally, though, his jaw was aching enough that he had to let the other man slip out. He licked and pressed kisses to the very tip.

Rodney whimpered as soon as John backed off, sliding up along his side. "Please…"

"Please what?" John pulled him back into his arms, holding his lover close again.

"Want to come…please."

He kissed Rodney's head, rubbing his nose in the soft hair a little. "No."

Rodney trembled in his arms. "Oh, god, John, please…"

He held him closer, but shook his head. "I don't think I'm going to let you come again tonight. Tomorrow I want you relaxed and focused on me and our upcoming vacation. The kind of relaxed you get when you're a little in headspace all day. It will help you get through the IOA shit as painlessly as possible."

He whimpered again, but didn't protest further.

John kissed him again softly. "Good boy. Very good. Just let yourself fall a little for me."

Rodney leaned into the kiss, wet and hungry.

He let his lover have down and dirty for a moment, and then took control, gentling it, slowly taking Rodney down yet another level, helping him slow his brain down and just relax.

It took a few minutes before Rodney finally stopped pushing for more, before he submitted, opening up for John.

Murmuring more praise between kisses, John reveled in the quiet time to just make out. They almost never just kissed for the sake of kissing. And he loved kissing. They should do this more often.

Threading his fingers through John's hair, Rodney pressed their mouth closer, letting John swallow his moan. He'd shifted his knee between John's legs, rocking up against him, cocks rubbing together.

The kisses ended almost naturally, both of them panting more than a little, just breathing each other's air. "Hey."

"Mmm," Rodney hummed, leaning in for another kiss.

John had to admit, he was hard, but so incredibly relaxed, he was starting to get sleepy. Yawning right in the middle of the kissing though—that he wasn't anticipating. It made him flush. "Sorry."

"It's fine," Rodney said, one of his hands drifting down to John's cock.

"If you get me off, I'll fall asleep." John didn't stop him though.

"And?" Rodney's hand gently touched the tip of his dick, finger dragging over the slit.

"Just warning you." John's voice was breathy as he spread his legs and arched slightly.

"I wanted to sleep before," he whispered, shifting on the bed, trailing kisses as he moved.

"It's late enough now that we can." John moaned a little as Rodney stopped to tease a nipple.

After spending a minute on first one, then the other, he shifted down again, his hands gentle as he turned John onto his back. Hovering over John's groin, he looked up at him through heavy lids. "Can I?"

John managed to nod, fisting his hands in the sheets to give Rodney free rein to play. "Whatever you want."

After a broad smile and a light kiss to the tip of John's dick, Rodney swallowed him down whole. John arched up, feeling his cock hit the back of his lover's throat.

Making a few incoherent noises, John closed his eyes, let his head tip back as far as it would go, and just let go, loving the way Rodney could make his whole body sing.

Suction and a few swallows brought John quickly to completion. Rodney swallowed down every last drop, milking him through his climax and then licked him clean. Then he settled down between John's legs and the end of the bed, his head on John's thigh, nose pressed into the crease of John's leg.

"Nng." John managed to thread his fingers through Rodney's hair, but otherwise, he was one big boneless puddle. His eyes slipped closed, and he felt himself sliding into sleep. "L've you."

Rodney shifted slightly and then John felt the blanket land on his stomach, covering his lover completely.

Smiling softly, John caressed Rodney's face a few times with his thumb, and then gave in to the pull of slumber.

***

Rodney woke up gradually, leisurely, surrounded completely in the warmth of the blankets and John. He hummed quietly, breathing in the scent of his lover, loving how it felt to be this close, this comfortable.

John's hand shifted in his hair, gently rubbing his scalp.

He felt, more than heard, John's rumble of a good morning.

Rodney shifted, trying to curl closer to his lover. He wanted to stay here, like this and forget about everything else.

John continued to pet him for a while, letting Rodney snuggle closer. Finally, though, the blankets were folded back enough for John to peek in. "Hi, there."

"Hi."

His lover smiled softly. "Comfy?"

Rodney nodded, closing his eyes and inhaling the musky scent of his lover.

John's body rumbled again, this time with a low chuckle. "We've got about an hour and a half before Jackson will be here to get us."

"Are you sure we can't stay here?"

John's nails dragged against his scalp, just enough sensation to send shivers down Rodney's spine. "I'm sure. Just a few days though, and then we'll be on vacation. God, am I looking forward to that."

"Hmm," he hummed in agreement, nuzzling the base of John's cock.

It was already half-hard, and quickly coming to attention, so to speak. "I'm going to give you a choice. You can blow me now, and spend the day with my taste in the back of your throat. We'll stay in bed like this until we absolutely have to get showered and dressed. However, if you choose that, you won't be allowed to come yourself. The alternate is that we get up now and get in the shower. If we do it that way, I'll fuck you and re-plug you, and you will be allowed to come. But it means we get up and get dressed now, and after the shower we have a light breakfast before Daniel gets here."

That was so unfair. He wanted both.

Opening an eye, Rodney looked up at John. "I…I can't choose. That's like choosing coffee or chocolate."

His lover smiled at him, the gentle, soft one that made Rodney's heart melt a little every time he saw it. "You have to choose. However, no matter which one you pick, I will have you tonight. I can't go that long without being inside you, not unless I have no other choice."

"Both?"

John shook his head. "No. You have to pick one or the other. It's a choice, but one I want you to make this morning. You need the little bit of headspace it will give you, as much as you need the physical connection."

"No, please don't make me."

John's fingers tightened imperceptibly in his hair although his expression was still soft. "You need this, Rodney. You can't have both. I know it's hard, but let yourself fall a little. Which one will get you to drop to the place where you can function, but you're relaxed, owned? I need you to choose because while I know you'll feel good either way, I don't know which one will help you the way I need it to the most."

Rodney closed his eyes again, feeling John's hands in his hair, letting it ground him. But he knew while this was perfect and wonderful, it wasn't going to do what John wanted. "For breakfast…before or after we get dressed?"

"If we go the shower and fuck route, I'll let you stay naked while I feed you. But you do have to choose soon, if we're going to have time for that. If we stay in bed, we'll just have time for a very quick shower, and you'll have to get dressed immediately after. And there probably won't be time for breakfast here, so you'll have to eat on your own at the SGC instead of being fed."

Opening his eyes, Rodney met John's gaze. "Shower."

Smiling, John sat up slowly, giving Rodney time to shift up as well. He pulled Rodney in for a brief kiss before sliding off the bed. "Good boy. Come with me."

Rodney followed John eagerly, already feeling his brain slowing down.

The water was started, and the shower cuffs secured to him, sending him even deeper. When the water was as hot as John wanted it, Rodney found himself led in and secured facing the wall with his hands high above his head, his legs spread as wide as they could go on the slippery tile. John's hands never left him, soft caresses and warm praise doled out in equal measure.

John's hands were sure and strong. Every touch sent him down and made him fly at the same time. Rodney took a breath and relaxed his body, making a concerted effort to let go.

"Very good." The cock ring started to buzz softly around his cock, and the plug was pulled free, quickly replaced with two of John's fingers.

He groaned, loving the feel of his lover, loving the touch—so intimate, so perfect. "So good," he whispered.

John found the special spot inside him, pressing hard against it. "In a minute it's going to be my dick inside you doing this. I'll take you long and slow, and when I start to get close, I'll speed up and fuck you so hard you'll feel it for the rest of the day."

"Oh, god, please…"

"You'll come so hard your vision will go white for a minute. And when you come to, the plug will be back in, holding me inside you. You'll walk around the SGC all day today knowing I'm with you, reminding you what we'll do tonight when we get home."

Rodney nodded, knowing exactly how that would feel, knowing that was what he wanted, what he needed.

"So good, Rodney..." John pressed kisses along the side of his neck, and then his fingers disappeared, to be replaced by the bigger, harder, hotter length of his cock.

"Yes…" he hissed, feeling John slide in.

True to his word, John started out slow, pulling almost all the way out, only to push back in a millimeter at a time.

He groaned, clenching his hands together into fists. This was perfect. This was what he needed.

John kept up that pace for what felt like forever, before his thrusts started to get a little faster, a little harder. "You're going to come, Rodney. Not now, but when you feel me claiming you, when the ring loosens, you're going to come."

Rodney nodded, moaning. "Need this."

John nipped at his collarbone, leaving a line of small marks where his shirt would cover it up. "I know exactly what you need."

"Yes. Yours…"

The sex got faster and rougher after that, until John was almost pounding into him. The deep groan and the sudden loosening of the cock ring, along with a rush of heat inside him, let Rodney know his lover was coming.

It only took one more thrust of John's cock deep inside him and Rodney felt his climax hit, pouring over him and through him. He groaned, his vision whiting out for a few seconds. He came to slumped against the wall as John pushed the acrylic plug into his ass, holding John's warm semen deep inside.

Humming softly, a wet, soapy washcloth started to caress Rodney's body, John's long fingers occasionally finding and working out a knot or two in the muscles.

Rodney felt so good, so loose, so pliant. He wished he could stay like this all day.

He went willingly when John turned him, cleaning his front half as carefully as his back, the cock ring tightening back down again against his skin. Finally, the water was turned off, and John unhooked him from the wall, pulling him close for a deep kiss.

Moaning into the kiss, Rodney opened up his mouth, touching his tongue to John's.

It was immediately sucked in and sucked on, John kissing him to within an inch of his life.

Rodney swore he could feel the kiss all the way to the soles of his feet. How did John know that this was what he needed, wanted?

His lover pulled back slowly, ending it with little nibbles to Rodney's lips. "I love you."

"Love you," Rodney whispered, lips brushing against John's. But there was one more thing he wanted…needed for this to last. "Chastity cage?"

John bit his bottom lip. "Let me think about it. I want to, but I don't know if the SGC will poke and prod again. After breakfast, I'll let you know what I decide."

"Yes, John."

That earned him another kiss. John dried them both off, pulling on a pair of boxers and BDUs, but leaving Rodney naked. In the kitchen, he cooked a quick breakfast and got them both fed, never letting Rodney get out of touch range.

It was…perfect. As he was kneeling next to his lover, one of John's hands was always touching him, grounding him. He could lean into the touch, feeling John's fingers stroking against his skin, his cheek, through his hair, along his neck. It felt so good, so right.

When breakfast was over, John tugged him up, leading him back to the bedroom. Rodney found himself sitting right on the edge of the bed, legs spread wide so John could fondle him.

He moaned, arching into John's touch, into his hand.

"I'm going to taste you. Come whenever you want—when you're soft again, I'll put the cage on you." John smiled gently as he sank to his knees.

If it weren't for the ring John hadn't loosened yet, Rodney swore he would have come right then, watching John kneel before him. He moaned even before his lover's mouth touched him.

With a dirty chuckle, John licked the head of Rodney's erection, then swallowed him down, humming softly as he sucked.

Rodney lost all muscle tone almost immediately, his body falling back against the bed covers, spreading his legs even wider for John. He was John's whore, spreading his legs for him and only him. This felt so good, so perfect.

John took him to the edge of pleasure, forcing him to stay there with the ring tight against his balls. Finally, the ring came off completely just as John sucked hard right at the head of Rodney's cock.

Rodney gave into the pleasure easily, letting it roll through him. His breath caught in his throat as his cock pulsed in John' mouth.

His lover kept sucking right until it was on the edge of painful, then pulled off slowly, licking Rodney clean. The cage was carefully fit around him next, cupping his cock against his body. Locked there with a zip-tie until John decided it would come off.

Rodney moaned in contentment, loving the feeling of the cage, of how it held him.

A long, lean body fitted itself along side him, one of John's hands coming to rest in the center of Rodney's chest. "Hey, there."

"So good, John…so good," he whispered, curling into his lover.

"And that was just a taste." John's arms circled him, holding him close. "Remember this when someone starts to piss you off or upset you. Remember that all we have to do is stay calm and answer their questions, and then we'll be free and you can have this all day, every day, for our entire vacation."

Rodney ducked his head into John's shoulder as his lover's hands drifted down to his ass, cupping the cheeks, fingers drifting into the crack, massaging gently.

John just held him like that, letting Rodney relax into him, before he finally sighed. "We need to get decent before Jackson gets here."

He didn't want to move, but knew he had to so he nodded, moving where John's hands adjusted his body.

It didn't take long before they were both dressed, in uniform, Rodney curled back in John's arms. "See, not so bad, right?"

"I have to come up," he said quietly.

"I know. But you don't have to come up all the way. Today will be easier if you can find a place where you can function without losing this feeling."

Rodney took a breath and nodded. "I know. I don't know if I can, though."

John nodded. "It's okay. Try for me, all right? And no matter what, we'll relax together tonight."

"I know. Looking forward to it," he said quietly, the chime of the doorbell cutting off whatever other thoughts he had.

John kissed his head. "That'll be Jackson. Take as long as you need, and join us when you're ready."

"Okay," he said with a nod, watching as John moved gracefully out of the bedroom, tugging the door closed behind him.

From the living room, he heard the muffled sound of voices.

He knew he had to get moving, knew there would be traffic on the way to the Mountain. He'd driven the route enough to know and there was a Starbucks on the way…

Shoving himself upright, Rodney took a breath, and dragged his brain back into gear. He would need to be on his toes in these briefings, but the feeling of the cage and the plug would remind him of John, of his promises.

When he stepped out of the bedroom, he found John and Daniel sitting in the kitchen, chatting quietly.

"Hey," he said, leaning against the door frame. "Sorry about the delay. Are you ready to go?"

John's smile was warm. "Hey, not a problem."

"I was thinking about making a stop at Starbucks on the way. It's a drive-thru."

Daniel perked right up, and John chuckled. "I think that can be arranged. I could do with something bracing myself. I still can't believe I briefed Landry while I was so out of it yesterday..."

Rodney let the conversation flow over him as they moved out of the apartment and into Daniel's car. The drive to the Mountain—with a quick stop for coffee—went faster than Rodney anticipated. Oddly enough he was impressed with John's ability to keep up with Jackson's conversation.

"What do you think, Rodney?" John turned in his seat, looking back.

His gaze snapped up away from his coffee. "Sorry…what?"

Both men in the front seat chuckled. "You weren't really listening, were you?"

"Ah, no. Just…thinking." Or not-thinking as the case may be.

John reached back to squeeze his knee. "Don't worry about it. We're almost there."

Rodney nodded, letting his gaze drift to the passenger-side window. They were on the winding road leading to the Mountain, passing the last scenic overlook before the guard booths.

John and Daniel went back to chatting, their soft voices washing over him.

After flashing their badges at the gate, Daniel found a close spot and they headed in. Two security points and two elevators later and they were deposited on level twenty-seven just outside the main briefing room.

John took a deep breath. "All right, here we go again..."

"Leaving is looking much more like a better option," Rodney whispered.

"Just a few more days." John whispered back with a slight grin. "We survived the Genii, we can survive this."

"I’m not as confident as you are."

John shot him a grin filled with promises, then straightened up. Rodney recognized the mask that slipped over his lover's features, the one that would allow him to be Colonel Sheppard in front of superior officers. Then they both followed Daniel inside.

Landry was there, along with another General, coffee cups and folders in front of them. Great. A military firing squad, Rodney thought, following John into the briefing room.

John went over to a chair, but didn't sit, holding himself at rigid attention.

"Have a seat, Colonel, Doctor," Landry said, glancing up.

With a nod, John sat, Rodney taking the seat next to him. SG-1 filed in as well, grabbing the other seats with much less formality.

Jackson sent John a strange look that Rodney couldn't decipher and now wasn't the time to ask about it.

After that the briefing got started in earnest. They picked up from where John must have left off yesterday, filling in some holes, expanding on everything Atlantis had been up to lately.

The questions weren't hard, more or less filling in where they wanted further explanation for certain items in their reports. Less time was spent on their past incarcerations than Rodney expected. He had thought they would have been dragged over the coals for the slave incident or the space pirates or a half-dozen other things. The destruction of the solar system was barely a blimp on their de-briefing much to Rodney's surprise.

After several hours, Landry called a break for lunch. Everyone stood and stretched.

Rodney was on edge. It was going far too easily.

With a nod Rodney recognized from the field, John gave him the order to follow and stay close, even as he started chatting with Mitchell and Jackson. His lover raised an eyebrow. "So, you guys can laugh all you want, but there's no way I'll ever find the mess in this place by myself."

"I’m sure McKay knows the way," Carter said, smiling, throwing an amused look Rodney's way.

John threw him a startled look—Rodney remembered that he had never worked here, and John occasionally forgot Rodney actually had. "Right. Come on, McKay, we have an hour, and I'm starving."

"Do we have time to go up top?" Rodney asked, wanting to be outside for a little while, the need to be out from under the concrete growing.

"Sure. We have an hour, so lets grab a quick bite to eat, then walk up and get some fresh air."

"Outside, McKay? I didn’t think you knew what outside was," Carter said snidely, looking for a rise out of him, but right now it was just too much work. The afternoon was IOA meetings and he knew they weren't going to be easy,

To his surprise, John answered for him. "Rodney's the hardest working guy in Atlantis. Not only does he pull full duty as our CSO, he's also off-world half the time. I sometimes wonder when he finds the time to sleep."

"I didn't think he needed sleep," Carter commented as they came to a stop outside the main elevators.

John glanced back at him—his gaze was fond, but not intense enough that anyone who didn't know they were a couple would suspect. Rodney was startled to realize John was his best friend in addition to his lover and partner. "Oh, he needs it. That's what he keeps me around for—make sure he stops to eat, gets a little rest, jogs for reasons other than angry pitch-fork wielding natives."

"I still don't like the jogging," Rodney grumbled as the elevator doors opened.

"You're getting better though. And don't think I'll let you get out of it just because we're on vacation. You're coming with me at least once, so you don't lose all that hard-won conditioning."

"We'll see," Rodney said, rolling his eyes. But of course, news of a vacation caught Carter's attention.

"Vacation? Where are you going?"

The slight hesitation was only visible to someone who knew John well. "Hawaii. I told some friends we wanted somewhere tropical to get away for a few days, and they booked us both tickets." John's face took on the slightly dreamy cast it had last night, when they had first discovered where they were going. "God, I miss surfing…"

Carter chuckled as they got off on the elevator. "You have your own board?"

"I used to. It may still be in my storage unit, but it's been years since I've gone in there, so I have no clue what I've got anymore. I'll probably just rent one once we get there."

They moved into the mess and Rodney headed right for the pre-made sandwiches, grabbing one for him and one for John. He handed them over to John before making his way to the bottled water, grabbing two. John and Carter were still talking, but time was wasting. "Ready, Sheppard?"

John chuckled, giving Rodney another smile that reached his eyes, made them dance. He glanced down at the sandwich. "Yeah, I'm coming. What did you grab for us?"

"Turkey and cheese."

John bounced on his toes a little, grin widening. "Because really, if you're going to have a sandwich, why mess with anything else? Turkey is vastly superior to all other lunch meats."

Jackson glanced between him and John for a minute before shaking his head and heading for the coffee pot. Carter simply gave them another smile. "We'll see you in an hour in the conference room. I'm sure McKay will be able to get you back there without getting lost."

John grinned, and nodded, and a few minutes later they were alone and heading for the surface. John glanced over, his grin morphing into a genuine smile. "How are you holding up?"

Rodney held John's gaze before focusing on the elevator panel marking the floors they were passing. There were cameras in the elevators here, and he didn't doubt there were microphones, too. "Okay," he said after a minute. "Better once we get outside."

His lover nodded, leaning against the wall and looking good enough to lick—although from his expression, he wasn't doing it on purpose. "I don't know how the SGC personnel don't go nuts being underground all day every day."

Rodney shrugged. "I guess they get used to it."

John shuddered. "I could never get used to it. I'm not even claustrophobic and it creeps me out when I really think about it."

They stepped out of the elevator and into the second one, for the last ride to the surface. "It's all what you get used to. Most of these people have been stationed all over the world so..." He shrugged again. Only a few more floors to go before they could sign themselves out.

"I'm just grateful we get to have the beautiful city with stained glass windows, rather than the grey underground bunker."

"Windows are good."

They were finally stepping out of the elevators, and it didn't take them long to sign out and find a little picnic area to eat—they weren't the only ones who liked to get some fresh air sometimes. The sun was warm without it being hot, and John tipped his face up, a slight smile curving his lips as he soaked it in.

As Rodney settled down on the bench, he felt some of the tension easing. They had nearly two more days of briefings before they left on vacation. Unscrewing the top of one of the water bottles, he handed it to John.

"Thanks." John took it, drinking half before starting on his sandwich. After a few minutes, he broke the comfortable silence that had settled between them. "So, it's actually not going too bad. This is about what I was originally expecting when we first walked through the gate—clarifying and filling in details on the various reports."

"I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop, honestly," Rodney said, focused on his sandwich, picking at the wilted lettuce.

His lover sighed softly. "I have to admit, I am too, after our welcome. But let's think positive."

"I'm positive the IOA is not going to look kindly on the missing solar system in Pegasus."

"Hey, they wanted it as bad as you did. We all did." John shrugged. "And we did learn a lot from it. We might not have a weapon, but you guys got a lot of useful data from it—even if a ton of it is what not to do, that's part of science, right? Get it wrong a hundred times until you hit on the one, perfect solution."

"I hate this…bureaucratic crap they put us through. It's like they don't trust us to do our jobs," Rodney said, putting down his sandwich after only taking a few small bites. And that's really what it boiled down to. He didn't like being second-guessed by idiots who pushed paper and had no idea what they were talking about.

"True, but is it any different anywhere else? I don't know about you, but I've never not had some sort of oversight, someone who wanted reports filed and justifications of things. It would be nice if there wasn't so much of it, but in reality, if they're only getting two of the senior staff twice a year, that's a lot of ground to try and cover."

"I've worked for the US government since I was in my teens, what do you think?"

Chuckling, John nodded. "So see, it's nothing new. We'll play the game, and then we'll be in beautiful Hawaii in no time at all."

"Not fast enough," Rodney grumbled, taking a bite of his sandwich.

They chatted a bit longer, both of them enjoying the light breeze that was blowing. Finally though, John stretched. "We should head back down."

"I know," Rodney sighed, looking up at John, seeing the tension in his lover's body. "You okay?"

John hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. It's just me being uncomfortable being quizzed by so many generals. That's never going to be easy, having that many officers in the same room grilling me. But let's go ahead and head down, get it over with for the day."

Taking a deep breath, Rodney nodded, trying to push away his uneasiness. The cage and plug helped, reminding him of John's promises for tonight, for later; reminding him that there was more than these petty men and red tape. He used to play the game, had become really good at it, but Atlantis had softened him in some ways, in things like this. It had also changed him, hardened him in other ways—the whole not dying thing provided sufficient motivation.

They walked back to the conference room in comfortable silence, both of them finding their seats quickly—they weren't the last to arrive, fortunately.

Rodney shifted several times, getting an odd look from John on the fourth squeak of the chair.

He leaned in, keeping his voice low. "You okay?"

He nodded. "As okay as I'm going to be," he said as the generals strode back in.

John nodded, straightening back up.

Rodney shifted again, watching as the generals took their seats, settling back in. They started flipping through several more file folders, pages turning as they got back into their interrogation mind-set.

John waited until everyone was settled, flipping his own folder to where they had left off. "Did you want me to pick up where we broke for lunch, sirs?"

"No," Landry said, flipping through several more pages. Rodney's stomach twisted a little as he waited for the General to continue.

John caught his eye and gave him a little half-smile, before taking a deep breath and waiting.

"Doctor McKay," one of the other Generals began—Hoston or Hanson or something—Rodney hadn't been paying attention. "In the past six months, you've found yourself in some very…difficult situations. While the results have ended in your favor, the IOA is concerned about the frequency of these…situations."

Rodney could feel his face beginning to pale a little. The IOA meetings weren't supposed to begin until tomorrow—or so he thought. "I…sorry," he said, shifting forward. "What did you mean?"

"You've had many incidents in the last several months that put your team in jeopardy. I'm asking you to explain them."

Rodney glanced over at John and then back at the General. "Me?"

John's eyes had narrowed. "With all due respect, sir, McKay is a member of my team, so any questions about that should be directed to me as the team leader, not him. And he hasn't put us in any more danger than we would have been in normally—in point of fact he gets us out of trouble we might not have survived without him."

"On the contrary, his incompetence in the field has put you at more risk than normal," the General countered, leaning forward. "And I'm interested in hearing from Doctor McKay about his…viewpoint on the matter."

"Actually sir, how much danger we encounter in the field, to what degree, and who plays a part in it is my determination alone. McKay can answer for himself if he wants to, he is a civilian, but when it comes to security matters and fieldwork, I am his commanding officer."

"On a number of these occasions, he's been on his own without any military support," the General said, his voice hard. "Don't worry, Colonel, we'll discuss your role afterward."

John's eyes narrowed slightly, and Rodney saw his muscles tense. "Doctor McKay is a qualified member of my team, sir. His skills and abilities have saved mine and many other lives on more than one occasion. He's not a soldier, sir. That's why we're there, to protect him so he can do his job. It's why there's a military presence at all in Atlantis, which, may I remind you, is a civilian-run and scientific operation."

The general shifted, his face closing down a little further. SG-1 stiffened in their seats. "There's no reason to remind me of anything, Colonel," he said, his voice cold. "But there is reason to explain how your team manages to be the one that always seems to be in need of a rescue—either singularly or as a unit. It seems to me that it's a case of overconfidence on the part of its green military commander and his failure to properly train the members of his team. Add two aliens—of which we cannot vouch for or trust—and you have a recipe for disaster, as your record has shown."

John's face went hard. "Personal attacks aside, sir," the sir was sarcastic, but just short of being outright insolent, "My team is one of two that makes first contact. And Lorne's team—the other first-contact team—doesn't get assigned the missions where we suspect trouble. I don't give my men the missions I'm not willing to run myself, which means we run into more trouble because we're taking more dangerous missions. And Doctor McKay, as well as Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagan, are all more than well trained for what they're asked to do."

"Those were not personal attacks, Colonel, simply cold-hard facts based on the evidence supplied to us in your reports."

"I've kept my people alive for two years, one of those with no contact with Earth or any reinforcements, against an enemy previously unknown to us who views us as the main course at an all-you-can-eat buffet. We've performed above and beyond what anyone here expected, and survived for longer than you gave us credit for. Sir. That's my record."

The General tossed folder after folder on the table in front of John, describing each and every miss-step and mistake and issue. Rodney cringed at the mention of Brendal's name—his planet, now one of their allies. It was true, they screwed up a lot. More than most. He dropped his eyes, listening as each and every thud against the table put yet another nail in their proverbial coffin.

John didn't flinch however. "If you take any first-contact team's mistakes and put them all together, ignoring the times things went right, you can make anyone look bad." He glanced at SG-1 before turning back to the General. "No offense to any of you, but if you only looked at the missions that went wrong, how great would Earth's premier team look? And yet, how many times have they saved not only Earth, but the galaxy as well? Not to mention, in addition to being the first team on Atlantis, both Rodney and I hold command positions in the city—positions held by others here on Earth. We're doing two jobs. I won't pretend we don't make mistakes, but, with all due respect, sir, we're damn good at what we do."

"We've been though that exercise with the teams on Earth, Colonel, and they seem to measure up quite well. And if you're trying to say that you can't handle the job you've been assigned, I’m sure we can find you another posting."

"I do my job just fine, sir. The fact that every time I've returned to Earth, someone has tried—and failed—to take it from me tells you just how well I do it."

"We'll see, Colonel," he said focusing once again on Rodney.

"What do you want me to tell you?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, trying to make himself appear as confident as John was.

"I want you to tell me why you're not a liability on an off-world team."

"I…" he began, only to break off immediately, all of Kate's words and work over the last few weeks rushing away. He glanced away, trying to think of something, anything. But he knew he was a liability on off-world teams.

Under the table, John's foot bumped his, offering what support his lover could, in a room full of military officers.

Rodney took a breath, turning back to the General. "The IOA are the ones who asked me to join the program, not the other way around," he said, trying to throw some of the tension back. "Why don't you tell me why you hired me?"

"I wasn't involved in that decision, Doctor. However, if you don't feel up to the task of performing your duties, we can find someone who is."

"I didn't say that."

"Then what are you saying?"

Rodney shifted in his seat, narrowing his eyes at the general as his uncertainty and anger began to fuel him. "I'm saying that if you think I can't do the job you hired me for then you should just fire me and get it over with already instead of pussyfooting through these…lame excuses and interrogation sessions."

Carter coughed across the table, and Daniel covered his mouth, obviously hiding a smile. The general, however, just managed to look even colder, if that was possible. "We're trying to ensure the best people for the job are the ones doing it, Doctor. That you can't tell me why you're that man doesn't reflect well on you."

"I'm a genius and I can run circles around you blindfolded and with my hands tied behind my back. Just because you get off on the power you have as a member of the IOA doesn't mean that you have the right to question us within an inch of our lives. And the physical exam was just another way to try to enforce your superiority complex." Rodney shoved back his chair and stood, his body strung out on anger and adrenaline. "We came here in good faith to go over the reports and missions, not to be treated less than human just because you enjoy your little power trip. I don't know and don't care what your agenda is. Fire me if you don't like what I'm doing or what I said. I don't care. When you've decided to stop grinding whatever axe you have with us, then I'll talk to you. Until then, I'm leaving. You know where to find me." He headed for the door without a backwards glance, knowing full well that he would probably end up in the brig. But right now, he didn't care.

"Doctor McKay." This time it was Landry who spoke. "This wasn't designed to be an inquisition, and I apologize it's gotten off track. Please, have a seat and we can continue with less... accusations, on both sides."

"On both sides?" Rodney huffed turning around, eyes fixed on Landry. John was still seated, his eyes a little wide showing his own surprise at Rodney's actions. "We've been nothing except forthcoming and all we've gotten in return is suspicion and insults. You'll have to excuse me, but I don't really have much faith in your platitudes."

Landry grimaced slightly. "To be fair, if I were in your place, I'd probably feel the same way. However, we do still need the information you have. If you'll have a seat, we do have additional questions. I believe Colonel Carter had some clarifications on some of the science reports?"

"If Carter has questions, she can ask me at another time."

"Rodney." John finally managed to find his voice, his tone more soothing than commanding. He glanced at Landry. "Sir, permission to take a brief break? Let tempers cool a bit before we continue?"

Landry glanced at his watch, before looking up, meeting both Rodney's and John's gaze. "Why don't we call it a night? I'll have Colonel Carter write up some of her questions and email them to you before the end of the day so you can address them in the morning. I'll do the same for you, Colonel Sheppard."

Nodding, John stood up. "I appreciate it, sir. We'll make sure we get the answers to you before we reconvene tomorrow morning. 0900?"

After a quick glance to the other scowling General, Landry nodded. "That would be fine. Did you need a ride?"

John glanced over at Rodney, one eyebrow going up in question. "Is your car here, or at your apartment?"

Rodney shrugged. "I don't know, I wasn't looking this morning and last night I was in no shape to look for anything."

Nodding, John looked back to Landry. "I'll have to get back to you on the ride, sir. I don't have a car, but McKay does, somewhere. At most, we'll need one back to his place, and then we can drive in tomorrow morning."

"Just requisition one from the pool," Landry said. "You know where the office is topside."

"Will do. Thank you, sir." John gave him a salute, then did the same for SG-1. He neglected to salute the stupid general; it probably wasn't just an oversight.

Rodney turned back to the door, moving steadily to the elevator and viciously swiping his card through the reader.

He was aware of John right behind him, although his lover was silent.

They stepped into the elevator when it came, avoiding the three Marines stepping out on level twenty-seven. Rodney stabbed a finger on the top button before settling back in the corner of the elevator, his eyes on the closing elevator doors.

John leaned against the wall, watching him. But he didn't look angry at Rodney. That was good.

It was a start at least.

They rode up to the transfer point in silence, making the switch quickly. When they reached the top floor they exchanged a brief silent communication and John moved to the small office just to the side of the check-point to get their car as Rodney waited relatively patiently by the exit, watching the birds fly through the air.

It didn't take long, and then they were sliding into a sedate sedan, and making their way down the mountain.

About half-way there, Rodney started shaking, the adrenaline and realization that he'd just insulted and yelled at several Generals hitting him full force. And, more or less, told them to take the job and shove it if they didn't like what he was doing.

"We're almost home. Just hold on for a few more minutes, okay?" John's voice was gentle, one hand coming over to rest on Rodney's thigh.

"I just…" he started, only to stop, his voice breaking. What could he say? He was an idiot. He might have just thrown away everything he cared about. For all he knew, he would end up as person non-grata from here on out.

John squeezed his leg. "It will be fine. Just try and hang on until I get us home, all right? It will be a lot easier for you if you're already naked and in my arms when we talk about it."

Mutely, Rodney nodded, turning his head to look out the passenger side window, but not seeing a thing.

It didn't take them much longer before they were home, John finding a spot near the front.

Rodney shoved himself out of the car even before John had put it into park, vaguely realizing they were parked next to his own car. Digging in his pocket as he headed for the apartment, he realized he didn't have his house keys, obviously leaving them behind this morning.

His lover was right behind him, reaching around to unlock the door. As he did it, he whispered softly in Rodney's ear. "Go directly to the bedroom and strip. I'll be right there."

With his thoughts whirling in every direction, it was just easier to nod, easier to simply follow direction. John would take care of everything.

His lover pushed the door open, letting them both inside. He went into the kitchen, while Rodney headed back to the bedroom.

Tugging off his clothes on the way, Rodney felt his body vibrating with the repressed anger and fear. He was struggling with his shoes, pants and boxers bunched around his ankles, when John walked in.

His lover set a glass on the side table, and then moved to Rodney, dropping to his knees. "Hold still for me, and let me get these."

"Stupid, fucking laces," Rodney cursed, sitting upright to let John help him.

John just worked at the knots, and then the shoes were gone, allowing Rodney to kick off the rest of his clothes.

He shifted up onto the bed, his eyes on John, watching him.

John just stood, kicking off his own shoes. He grabbed the glass he had walked in with, handing it over.

The liquid was clear and Rodney glanced up at John, question in his eyes. "What's this for?" he asked, the words tight, snapped.

John shrugged, climbing into bed next to him. "Thought you might be thirsty. It's just water. When I get really pissed off, I know my mouth always gets dry."

"You're not mad?"

Shaking his head, John put his arms around Rodney, careful not to slosh the glass. "No. Surprised you stood up to them, but you only said what I was thinking. I'm proud of you."

Rodney snorted. "We'll see how far that gets me."

John pressed his lips to the side of Rodney's head. "General Holmes doesn't like anyone, I don't think, and he's with the IOA to boot. But Landry knows you're vital to Atlantis, and Elizabeth would pitch a fit if they tried to go over her and refuse to let you back through. And they need us as much as we need them right now."

"Maybe," Rodney sighed, letting his body relax into John.

He could feel John's smile. "No maybes about it. Holmes will do his best to rile us both up, but unless we're caught fucking in the halls or start shooting random people, there's not much he can do."

Rodney let out another long breath. "I didn't mean to yell at them. I really didn't."

"You did good, buddy. You got angry, yes, but you kept your cool. And you walked away instead of really yelling. You forget—I've seen you in the labs. I was very impressed with the restraint you were showing, all things considered."

"I should check my email."

"In a bit." John tapped the glass. "Drink some of that, and then lay with me. We can go do email and be official again in a little while."

"I need to be able to come up with answers to their questions. I'm going to need time to—"

"I know." John cut him off, one hand stroking up Rodney's chest. "And I'll make sure I give you the time for it. But right now, what you need is to lie with me and let me hold you for a few minutes. Because you're upset and angry and you'll be able to focus better if you let me help you now."

Rodney opened his mouth to complain, to argue, but quickly let it snap shut without saying a word. He was tired—exhausted really—it was just easier to listen to John. He let out another breath and nodded. John was right.

That earned him a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. He took the glass back and took a few long swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing as his throat worked. When he had consumed half the glass, he held it back out, one eyebrow up in question.

Shaking his head, Rodney watched as John took another sip before putting the glass on the bedside table.

Then he was back in John's arms, and being pulled all the way onto the bed, his back against John's chest, his ass snuggled against John's groin.

It only took a few minutes of silence before Rodney was talking again. "They had no right…he had no right…to do, to say what he did."

"Well, I guess he has as much right as anyone to his own opinion. But I have to admit I was a little surprised at how blunt he was about his intentions. Even Landry was a little taken aback." John hugged him closer.

"What does he have against us, against me? I've never even seen him before."

"I don't think it's you, personally. I know he doesn't like me because of my record before Atlantis. He was one of the ones who wanted to put Caldwell in charge. But I'm not sure what his ultimate agenda is. Maybe just more military control in Atlantis, instead of civilian."

"From the sound of it, it was certainly personal. You were there, you heard him. It was like he'd read through my file from Kate even though I know she wouldn't release that kind of information."

"He was fishing. He has just enough information from the reports to make some accusations. It was only sheer luck that he managed to find your one sore spot." John's hands spread wide against Rodney's stomach, stroking softly. "He wants to prove one of us is shit at our job, so he can go to the IOA and make a case for all of Elizabeth's choices of personnel invalidated."

"And so I gave him exactly what he needed. Great. Another screw up. I'm just proving his point."

"No, actually you made him look like the fool. I think he was hoping you would explode, start ranting and yelling like you do in the labs sometimes. But you didn't. You were angry, but you were collected, and you were the bigger man, walking away. From what I saw, Landry was impressed despite himself."

"But how did he know? He couldn't have just guessed. He had to know."

"He read the reports, and for all that he's a dick, he's not stupid. He tried a few shots in the dark, and when he thought he had found a target, he went for the kill."

"He had to know," Rodney repeated.

John's arms tightened a little more, and lips brushed against Rodney's shoulder. "He didn't. He just got lucky. But you handled it. You did good."

"I screwed up. I let him get me upset, angry."

"You didn't screw up. You're human, and anyone being attacked would get upset. I did, when he was doing it to me."

"I doubt it. You always hold it together."

"I was skirting the line of insubordination. If there wasn't another general there, along with several other officers, to vouch for me, I'm pretty sure he would have me up on charges right now."

Rodney shook his head, not wanting to argue, but not quite willing to let it go.

John's lips brushed against his skin again. "He doesn't have your psych records, Rodney. Kate would die before she'd let that happen."

"He can't be that damn lucky."

"It wasn't all luck. He knows you're a civilian, not originally trained for the field. And he saw the reports. He took an educated guess about where your insecurities would lie."

"And he was right about all of it, ever last damn bit of it."

"He was wrong, too though. You're not a liability in the field. You're good at what you do, very good."

"No, no he wasn't," Rodney whispered, closing his eyes, angry at General Holmes for catching him out, angry at himself for being weak and insecure.

John rolled them, so he was on top of Rodney. "Open your eyes."

"John, no," he said, trying to push his lover away.

His lover pressed down, unrelenting. "Open your eyes."

John's hands caught Rodney's, holding them in place, not offering him any other option but to obey. He finally wrenched his eyes open, trying to look anywhere except at John but that was impossible. He was too close, blocking out everything else.

"You are brilliant, and absolutely necessary on my team. Without you, we wouldn't be alive. Without you, we wouldn't know what to look for. Without you, we wouldn't have half the allies we do, trading for fixing their technology. Do you really think I would allow you in the field, put you in danger, if I thought you weren't cut out for it? If I didn't think you could take care of yourself?"

Rodney shook his head. "No, but—"

"No buts." John's expression was intense. "As protective as I am of you, as much as I value you, do you really think I would take you out into the field if I wasn't one-hundred-percent sure you could handle it?"

It was like John's eyes were drilling into his brain, pushing and demanding Rodney to believe him. He'd never felt that kind of conviction, determination. Licking his lips, he shook his head again, his answer whispered. "No."

"Believe in me then, if you're struggling to believe in yourself right now. I put my faith, and my life, in your hands because I know, without a doubt, that you'll be right behind me. Don't let the people who don't care about us beyond what they can use us for before we're tossed away have more power over you than the ones who love you, who know you, who wouldn't take anyone else besides you."

Rodney blinked once, nodding slowly. "I…okay." He didn't really think it was that easy, but he trusted John, knew he wouldn't lie to him—not in things like this.

John's expression, and the pressure against his wrists, eased slightly. "I know it's not easy, especially when it comes to emotions and insecurities. But when you doubt yourself, trust me, okay? I need you too much to let you walk into a situation where I didn’t think you could handle yourself."

"I do trust you." And he did. He trusted John like he never had trusted anyone before. Trusted him with his body, his mind, his heart, and his life. It was a struggle some days when his own issues surfaced, but when you got down to the basics, the nitty-gritty, he trusted John.

John smiled softly, leaning in to capture Rodney's mouth, his tongue tracing the seam before pushing inside, claiming, taking, possessing.

Rodney arched up into John's body, the fabric of his uniform scraping and rubbing in all the right places. He folded his fingers down over John's, grasping their hands together tightly.

They kissed until they were both panting, and the cage around Rodney's cock was starting to get a little painful. John's hips ground down, and the bulge from his erection was hot and hard against Rodney's thigh.

"God," he whispered, head rolling to the side as John licked down the side of his neck, nipping and nibbling at the skin.

One of John's hands skimmed down Rodney's chest, to curl around the cage. "Tell me when this hurts enough to need to come off. If it's not bad, I want to leave it on. Right now isn't about making you come; it's about making you feel good."

"Feels good," Rodney murmured, arching into his lover's hand, his body starting to come alive.

Humming, John's hand moved back up, as his head moved down to lick at a nipple. "Good. Just let me know if it starts to hurt."

There was something so erotic about this, about his cock locked away, about the plug in his ass, about being naked while John was fully clothed. He gasped when John bit down on his nipple, groaning in pleasure as the sensation ran through his body.

Seemingly at random, John drifted around his body. Sometimes it was a caress, sometimes a lick, sometimes a sharp bite.

Time had no meaning. Minutes seemed like seconds or hours, depending on the sensation, and Rodney gave himself up to them. He was falling down, the day's issues and problems, sliding away, fleeing from his mind as John replaced them with pleasure and touches and caresses.

When he had been reduced to a quivering puddle, John stretched out along his side, idly stroking his fingers through Rodney's chest hair.

It was still afternoon, the light shading toward the red of the late-afternoon sun and all he could think about was John and how his body felt under his talented hands.

"Better now?" John's voice was soft, barely cutting through the silence that had settled over them, warm and comfortable.

"Mmm," Rodney nodded. "No longer…vibrating."

John's soft chuckle was affectionate. "Good. That was the plan. Or at least, to get you vibrating for a much more pleasurable reason."

Rodney snorted, shifting closer to John. "Did you need help or anything?"

"Mmm. Trying to decide if I want to fuck you, have you blow me, or just enjoy the buzz of arousal and wait for a bit."

"Whatever you want," he said, finally managing to lift his arm, letting his fingers drift over John's clothed side.

John's eyes got a speculative gleam. "Want to try something different?"

"Anything you want."

"I'm going to blindfold you, and then you're going to touch me. Without sight, you can use your other senses. The way my skin feels. The noises I make. They way I smell." His lover's voice was a soft purr.

"That's not new. We've done that before," Rodney said quietly, offering a smile. "Or was there some other twist I should know about?"

"You'll see." John slid off the bed, getting the blindfold first, and tying it into place. Rodney then heard his lover moving around the room, and a few minutes later a warm body snuggled up close again. John was still dressed, and from the feel of it, was stretched out on the bed. "You can just touch for now. We'll get to the rest in a little while."

"You're leaving your clothes on?" Rodney asked shifting up onto his knees, one of his hands already on John's stomach.

"You can push them out of the way if you want. But I know how much you like being naked when I'm dressed. The way it feels against your skin."

"Mmm…I love how you feel," he said, letting his hands drift over John's body, feeling so familiar, so right. A brush against John's nipple got Rodney a quiet moan and he smiled, shifting to straddle his lover, pressing his ass against John's hardness.

That earned him another moan. With the blindfold on, it was like Rodney could feel every flex and pull of John's muscles underneath him.

"What do you want, John?" he asked, running his hands up and down John's sides, the fabric bunching and smoothing as he went.

"Right now, just this. Love your hands, love having them on my body."

"Do you like this?" he asked, dragging his nails against the fabric, feeling John squirm a little under him.

"God... yes..." John's response was a whispered moan.

Rodney continued, alternating soft and harder strokes before he slid his hands under John's shirt, stroking upward along his sides. He leaned down, capturing one of John's nipples in his mouth—on the second try—tasting fabric softener and John, leaving a wet patch on the shirt.

John was making soft noises in the back of his throat, his body arching into Rodney's mouth.

Sliding his hands under John's shoulders, Rodney set himself against his lover, pressing him down into the mattress as he teased and tasted John through his shirt. He loved the slide of the fabric against his skin, how John's body arched into his, how his legs entwined with his own.

He could feel a damp patch against his thigh, where John was leaking through his BDUs.

"So good," he whispered, moving up John's body, licking and tasting the curve of John's neck, nibbling at the lobe of his ear.

"Rodney..." John's hands came up, skimming Rodney's back, holding him close.

"Whatever you want," he said, breathing into his lover's ear, pressing his nose into John's hair, his hands still drifting over John's body.

He felt John shift under him, and a moment later a finger dragged across his lips. It was dipped in chocolate. The good stuff.

Humming, Rodney tilted his head, taking John's finger in his mouth and licking it clean.

John's voice was rough with arousal. "How would you like to lick this off my dick?"

"Do you want me to?"

"I want to watch you do it." John rolled them slightly, so Rodney was on his side. He could feel his lover shifting around, and then he was being guided, until he found John's erection.

Rodney could smell the chocolate and the pre-come and it was perfect. With a moan, he leaned in, misjudging a little and getting chocolate on his nose. But he didn't care as he adjusted and licked the tip, moaning at the taste.

John moaned right along with him. Whenever Rodney thought he had gotten all the chocolate, John's finger smeared a little more on for him to taste and lick.

He knew there were streaks of chocolate on his face, his neck, his hands, but he didn't care. He could feast like this for hours.

He could tell John was getting close to his orgasm when his lover's moans got a little more incoherent, and his cock started leaking more heavily.

Rodney had two options here: back off or swallow him down. It was a tough decision. He didn't want it to end, but he wanted to taste him, feel John pulsing into his mouth.

John whimpered when he paused, trying to decide on the best course of action.

But thinking about it, what he really wanted was for John to fuck his mouth. He sucked hard on the tip, pulling a strangled moan from John before pulling off entirely.

"No, nononono don't stop, so close..."

"Fuck my mouth?" Rodney asked, his voice rough, low.

"Oh god..." John moaned, and then Rodney found himself being flipped onto his back, a cock nudging at his lips.

He eagerly opened up his mouth, feeling John slide inside even as he settled over Rodney.

John didn't give him much time to adjust, before his hips were moving, gliding in and out. "Not...gonna last…much longer..."

But Rodney loved it, wanted it. He wanted to feel John press in deep, wanted to still feel it tomorrow, his throat a little sore from his lover.

John seemed to understand, not sparing Rodney at all, cutting off his air and brushing the back of his throat every time. Finally, John pulled out so just the head of his cock was between Rodney's lips, and with a deep groan was coming.

Rodney swallowed it down, gagging a little as it came too fast for him to get it all down, a trail dribbling down the side of his mouth.

He could hear John's harsh breathing, and feel the trembles of aftershocks. Finally, his lover was pulling out, and a moment later was wrapped around Rodney. "Mmmm."

Ducking his head, Rodney fit himself just under John's chin, as close to his lover as he could get.

"So good..."

Rodney hummed in agreement, feeling as if he'd run his own marathon.

"Nap now." John sounded like he was half asleep already.

Wrapping his arms even tighter around John, he nodded. He could work later. Much later.

***

When John woke up, he had an armful of warm, happy scientist. Rodney was still sleeping, so he took the opportunity to just look his fill, his chest feeling tight with all the emotion it was trying to contain.

Finally though, nature called. Careful to slip out without waking his lover, John padded into the bathroom and taking care of business. He decided to let Rodney sleep a little more, and went to boot up the laptops—he knew his lover would want his own at some point tonight—leaving the email program to download new messages while he puttered in the kitchen. The little light on the answering machine was blinking, so he absently hit it as he stared into the pretty much empty fridge.

"Oh…hi…I wanted to call and…oh, this is Daniel Jackson by the way if you didn't recognize my voice…I just wanted to call and make sure everything was okay. Give me a call if you need anything," he said, ending with his cell phone number.

Shaking his head, John grabbed the cordless and dialed the number as he moved on to the pantry, trying to decide if he could make a meal out of two eggs and what looked like a package of stale crackers. Maybe if he stared long enough, something edible would magically appear. The sad part was—stranger things had happened.

"Jackson."

"This is Sheppard. You called earlier?"

"I called….oh yes, I did. Before. McKay alright?"

John huffed at the pantry. No magic food. "He was a little shaken, but a little better now, I think. Any fall out I need to worry about when we get in tomorrow?"

"General Holmes wasn't happy," he said. "Threatened the General will all kinds of things. I…while I have to admit, General Holmes probably deserved it, it doesn't make it any easier to take."

"Daniel...?" John was used to following odd conversations with scientists, but Jackson managed to confuse the hell out of him. "What happened to Holmes? And who threatened who?"

"What?" Daniel said, before continuing a beat later. "General Holmes started threatening Landry about McKay and his actions. Something about taking care of that 'damn, arrogant scientist,' or something like that." John could almost hear the shrug. "I have to agree with McKay that it seemed like some kind of a witch hunt, but that wasn't exactly the time or place to do it. And from the color of McKay's face, I was nearly certain he was going to pop a blood vessel or have a heart attack in the main briefing room. Is he okay? Calmed down? I think Sam already sent over the questions."

John processed all that information, then shook his head. "Yeah, we talked, and he calmed down a bit. He is worried though—you said something had happened to Holmes? After he threatened Landry...?"

"Something happened to him? No, nothing happened. What did I say?"

John thought hard about banging his head against a wall. No wonder O'Neill was a little crazy. "You said Holmes probably deserved it. That implies something happened to him. I'm sure Landry didn't take kindly to being threatened."

"Oh, that. No. He deserved McKay's rant."

"Ahhh." Wandering back out of the kitchen, John decided they would either have to call for a pizza, or go out for food. "So should we expect any fall out from today? I know that's what has Rodney worried."

"Honestly, I don't know. I think there's another General or two coming in for the rest of your briefings. I'm not sure if General Holmes is staying or not. He was storming around the briefing room earlier. Was actually interesting to watch from an anthropological perspective."

"Did he honestly expect we would just roll over and let him shoot us? We're on the senior staff of a base in another galaxy—we're not exactly push-overs."

"I know that and you know that and Landry…and well, you know how they are at the IOA. He's actually one of the ones trying to convince the IOA that we're expending too many resources fighting a war in another galaxy that's not ours, especially since we're already facing the Ori threat in our own. It wouldn't surprise me if you start to hear more rumblings about personnel allotments and supplies and cutting back unnecessary expenditures. I mean, we're here and we get the same kind of run-around."

John sighed. Like they needed another battle to fight. "Great. Because when a life-sucking alien is trying to kill me, I really want to be counting bullets and worrying about whether I have enough to take him down before he gets me."

"Anyway, I called to check in on you and McKay and to see if you needed anything."

"I think we're better than we were this afternoon. Rodney's still napping, and when he gets up we'll take care of these emails, and then go get something to eat."

"Good, good. Call me if you need anything, or if you need a ride in the morning or something."

"I will. And thanks—I appreciate all the help." John shook his head again, dropping to the couch with his laptop.

"Not a problem and if you want to talk about…anything, you know where to find me."

"Depending on how this week goes, maybe we can get together this week some time and do dinner. I owe you anyway for getting us home last night in one piece."

"I'm not going to say no to John Sheppard food, but when are you heading out on vacation?"

Flushing, John chuckled. "Ahh.. Thanks. And we head out at the end of the week. We planned for a week of briefings, and then ten days of leave."

"Really?" Daniel sounded surprised.

"Yeah, why?" John was scrolling through his email absently, deleting anything that was obviously junk.

"I only think you're on the schedule for briefings for the next day and a half. Least that's what I saw."

"Huh." John scratched his head. "Well, I won't complain if they want to start our leave early. I'll have to double-check the tickets and see when, exactly, we're booked for. I had a friend handle all the arrangements."

"A friend?"

"Yeah. It was easier than trying to do it myself from another galaxy. It's a little hard to call for reservations when you're several million light years away." Curious, John set his computer aside and went to look at the tickets. He hadn't actually done more than see where they were going. It would probably be useful to know what the dates were.

"I’m sure McKay could have figured out something to make your reservations during the databurst, some superfast connection to the internet."

"Probably, but why go to all that trouble when Peter was more than happy to help?" He found the itinerary and pulled it out of the packet of paperwork that had been waiting for them when they arrived.

And there it was. A United flight, connecting in Honolulu to Lanai City, departing at 11:20 am in three days.

"Ah ha. We're leaving in three days. Perfect. We can brief for the next few, then have some time to pack."

"So when's dinner?"

Laughing, John put the paperwork away. "How's tomorrow night? I don't actually have any food in the house though, so we'll have to stop on the way back to the apartment to pick something up."

"Just let me know the time to show up," Daniel said. "I have a mission in three days, but otherwise it's business as usual."

"I'll catch you at the mountain during the break tomorrow, and we can work out the details."

"I'll be in my lab. McKay knows the way."

"Perfect. I'll find you then. And thanks again, Daniel. We both appreciate the help."

"Not a problem. Have a good night and enjoy your dinner…whatever you end up doing tonight."

Laughing, John hung up the phone. He stretched, and decided to go check on Rodney before he sat down to get some work done.

He shifted, putting the computer on the coffee table and hoisting himself to his feet. As he turned he caught sight of Rodney standing in the doorway of the master bedroom, naked apart from the accoutrements John had added and the blindfold, which was still in place. He looked sleep rumpled and warm, his skin pink, creased in places where the sheets had left marks.

"Hey there, buddy." John moved across the room, reaching out to pull Rodney into his arms. "I didn't know you were awake yet."

"Just…just woke up," he said, molding into John's body. "You were on the phone?"

"Mmm hmm. Daniel Jackson had called and left a message wanting to make sure you were okay. I called him back, and we chatted for a bit. Holmes was irritated, but Landry stood up for us, it sounds like. It should be fine tomorrow."

"Good, good," Rodney said vaguely, either still asleep or slightly in headspace. John wasn't sure. "I'm hungry."

John pressed a kiss to his lover's forehead. "We don't really have any food here. So I can get us dressed and we can go out, or I can order a pizza. Which would you prefer?"

"I don't want to go out."

"Pizza it is then." John led his lover to the living room, guiding him down to the couch. "Stay here while I go find the number, okay?"

"Should be on the fridge," he said, slumping into the cushions. "No anchovies."

It didn't take John long to order a couple of pizzas—and a box of cheesy bread because it sounded good—and rejoin Rodney on the couch. He pulled the other man into his arms. "It'll be here in about half an hour. Until then, we can just stay here like this. After we eat, we can get to work on the stuff the SGC wants."

"This is good," Rodney said, sighing quietly as he shifted closer to John. This was a totally different Rodney than a few hours earlier. He was calmer, no longer vibrating.

"Really good." And it was. It was relaxing, soothing to just have Rodney here, curled close. "I checked the dates, and verified the briefing schedule. We fly to Hawaii in three days."

"Please tell me it's first class."

"Hell, yes." John laughed softly. "I specified that when I asked Peter to make the arrangements. Especially on a flight that long, there was no way I was going to go coach."

"There is no reason to fly coach when I have plenty of money to cover first class."

"I agree. Plus, first class gives us more opportunities to play. It's a lot more private."

Rodney snorted. "Interested in joining the mile high club?"

"I'm a pilot, what do you think?"

"That you're already a member, several times over."

Blushing, John chuckled a bit ruefully. "You wouldn't be wrong. But that was in my past, and I haven't joined with you. We need to rectify that."

"Mmm," Rodney said, snuggling closer. "Too bad they don't have special charter flights."

"Maybe next time. Or, you know, I could fly you around in a puddlejumper—your very own charter service."

"Maybe."

"Only maybe? As I recall, puddlejumper sex was pretty damn hot."

"For it to work right, I think we need to be chauffeured. You know, to make sure the membership is correct."

"True." John grinned into Rodney's shoulder. "Well, we'll see what we can do on the flight over, and next time, I'll look into chartering us a flight somewhere."

"Surprised the resort doesn't offer special flights for their more important guests."

"We can look into it when we're there. They might, and if we like it and decide to go back, it could be an option."

"Or for next time."

John shook his head slightly. "For now, just relax okay? And dream about all the ways I'll make you feel good."

"All relaxed," he said, his hand stroking along John's side. And honestly for Rodney, this was actually pretty relaxed for him—without a good fucking or climax that is.

"I see that." John couldn't help the slight shiver of arousal that went through him at Rodney's touch.

Rodney's hand slid lower, hovering over John's hipbone.

John hummed at the contact, letting it relax him, too.

"Can I touch you?" Rodney asked quietly.

"Please."

Rodney sighed in pleasure as his hand closed around John's length, stroking him.

With a soft exhale of a moan, John melted into the couch, giving in to the pleasure of Rodney's hands on his body.

His lover was focused just on his dick, stroking and caressing with his hand. At some point later—John had no idea how long—Rodney shifted, whispering in John's ear. "I…I'd really like to feel you come."

John moaned, his hips moving up into Rodney's hand almost against his will. "I... I'm close..."

His lover tightened his grip, speeding up his strokes, twisting at the top a little just the way John liked it.

A few more strokes, and John was coming, his orgasm spilling out of him. As he came, he turned his head, pressing an open mouth against Rodney's skin.

Rodney stroked him through his climax, gentling his touch until he was simply holding him. With his ear pressed to John's chest, Rodney was curled into him, humming contentedly.

Slowly, John's pants turned into little kisses. "Love you."

"Love you, too," he replied. "You're just…amazing to me."

John's skin got a little warm, and he pulled Rodney closer. "Always."

The doorbell interrupted their couch cuddling.

"Pizza." John untangled himself from Rodney, calling out to the door. "Just a sec!"

Rodney shifted on the couch, leaning against the cushions, looking decidedly vulnerable naked and blindfolded.

It made John's heart skip, as he darted into the bedroom to grab a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to pull on. He was sure he looked debauched, but there wasn't much he could do about it. On his way to the door, he grabbed the wallet the SGC had kept for him, pulling out some cash.

A pimply teenager was standing at the door, looking bored and snapping his gum. "Here."

John flashed him a smile, grabbing the boxes. "Thanks. How much do I owe you?"

"Thirty. Plus tip." He eyed John before his gaze slid into the room behind, checking out the apartment.

John was very glad the couch wasn't in direct line of sight from the door. He moved to slide the boxes onto the hall table, and rifled through his wallet, pulling out $40.

"I don't have change."

"All I have are $20s, so take it and enjoy." John flashed him another smile.

"Yeah. Thanks." He snapped his gum and shoved the cash in his pocket as he turned and headed back to his car.

Shaking his head, John closed and locked the door. He brought the pizza into the living room—no reason they couldn't eat on the couch. "I'm not sure I can feed you hot pizza without dripping cheese and sauce all over both of us. And hot food plus naked skin don't work well together." He sat back down next to his lover.

"Let it cool."

Chuckling, John opened the box of cheesy bread. It was a little easier to eat, so he took a bite, then brushed it against Rodney's lips. "Or we could start with this."

His lover didn't hesitate, opening his mouth to take a bite of the bread, humming in appreciation as he chewed.

"So I was thinking, for the flight out, you're going to be wearing your jeweled set under your clothes—the full set. I'd have you wear more, but I don't want to risk setting off metal detectors. In addition, I'm going to run a light chain between the nipple rings and then down to the cock ring, so every time you move, you'll get little tugs of sensation."

"You could always add it in the airport once we're past security," Rodney said before John pressed another bite of the bread to his lips.

"I could. I was considering either having you wear or bringing along the acrylic plug. It won't set off the detectors either. Once we get to the resort, you won't be wearing much. I'll bring along an outfit or two for you, but those will mostly be for traveling. I'll want you naked and leashed for the bulk of our vacation, even when we're out and about. That's one of the benefits of this kind of resort."

Rodney shivered, a smile on his lips. "I can wear it."

"Good boy." John leaned in to kiss him briefly before returning to feeding him. "When we are out in public at the resort, I'll probably have a full chastity belt on you—one that has both a cage and a plug, that I can lock down. I want to show you off, but that doesn't mean anyone else gets to touch you."

Rodney swallowed his next bite before replying. "Anything you want, John. I…I guess you'll give me an enema every morning or something, make sure everything's easier during the day."

"We'll see. I will be leaving you pretty much free at night, in terms of things inside you, to let your body have some recovery time. We'll be playing pretty hard during the day, so you'll need it. I plan to make use of all the toys and tools the resort provides for us. You won't be able to sit down for a week when we get back."

"But I thought…" Rodney paused, but continued a few beats later, his voice quieter. "I thought I'd be filled the whole time."

Cupping Rodney's face, John caressed him with a thumb. "I don't want to hurt you. But I'll tell you what, we can take it on a day to day basis. If you aren't sore, and I don't think it will hurt, I'll let you wear one of the smaller plugs at night. I plan to leave you very well-fucked every day. There will be dildos, so you'll be filled even when I'm not hard—so you might welcome a little break. But I'm willing to see how you feel and re-evaluate there, okay?"

"Okay," he said, nodding slightly. "But I really want this to be…intense and just…" He shrugged.

John nodded, even though Rodney couldn't see him. "I know. And it will be. I want to give you this, help you stay in your happy place for the entire trip if I can."

"You can." Rodney was so firm, confident.

"Mmmm." John had to kiss him again. "I have some plans. Mostly I'll wait and see what we have access to, what the layout of the place is. But I do know you're going to come so much your dick will ache and you'll be filled and taken so often that by the end I'll be able to slide right in with no prep at all."

"Oh…" Rodney exclaimed in pleasure, leaning forward again, catching the corner of John's mouth before readjusting and pressing his lips to John's in an open-mouthed, wet and dirty kiss.

John hummed, taking control of the kiss and letting it go on for several minutes. He pulled back with a little nibble to Rodney's bottom lip. "Pizza should be cool enough to eat now."

"You taste better."

"Thank you, but I'm not nutritious enough to stave off a hypoglycemic reaction." John kissed him again lightly before grabbing a slice for them to share. "So, after we eat, we're going to get some work done. Since I know your questions will be more involved than mine, I'll make you a deal. Finish in an hour or less, and you'll get a blowjob and some fingering. Finish in one to two hours, which is about what I figure you need to do it well, and you'll get fucked through the mattress tonight. Finish in two hours or more, and the cage will stay on, but I'll tie you down and play with you for a bit, maybe come in your mouth again, before we go to bed."

"You're going to force me to work?"

"Afraid so. It has to be done tonight, and I'd rather do it now than have it hanging over our heads. I was hoping the incentives would help."

"And it doesn't pay for me to rush through it."

"Exactly." John grinned. "I want you to do a good job, not rush just to get back to bed. I glanced at the questions Carter sent when I booted up our computers, and I figure the one to two hour range is about what you'll need to go through them."

"You're mean and evil," Rodney said, pouting slightly.

"And you love it." John finished off the slice they had been eating and stood up. "I can be nice too though. For instance, you've had the plug in today, but I could be convinced to trade it out for a vibrator if you wanted to be filled while we work."

"I can't sit with a vibrator in," he sniffed.

As he walked the pizza into the kitchen, John gave his partner an evil grin—which was even more fun since the other man couldn't see it. "Oh, we'll see about that. But not tonight. It was an offer, not an order. For now."

Rodney huffed, his arms crossed over his chest. His head had turned as if he could follow John with his eyes, which made his appearance all the more amusing. "It doesn't change the physical make-up of the vibrators we own. I can't sit with one of them inside of me no matter how hard I try."

"If you sink down onto it, instead of having it in and then trying to sit, it will work. How do you think fuck-furniture works? And yes, the resort has some of that, and yes, you will be sitting in some of it." John stripped off his clothes again, leaving them on a chair in the kitchen.

"It won't work," Rodney repeated.

"Okay. So you'll just work in what you've got on for now." It was a silly thing to argue about, and John wanted to head it off before he was forced to do something he didn't want to.

"Of course if you can convince me otherwise, I might have to change my opinion."

John let his chuckle turn dirty. "I'll wait to convince you at the resort."

"If you can."

John leaned over the couch, pressing his mouth to Rodney's again. "It will be fun trying."

Rodney hummed into the kiss. "Maybe."

After a few more feather kisses, John stood again. "All right, I'm going to take the blindfold off now. The sooner we get to work, the sooner we can get back to sex."

"The work can wait," he whined, shifting away from John.

"No, it can't, unfortunately." John kept his voice gentle.

"Yes, it can."

"Rodney." John caught his lover's face, holding it tight enough that Rodney couldn't pull away again. "I wish I could say screw it and just cuddle with you all night, but we need to get this done. We told the SGC we would. And the faster we start, the faster I can bring you back down and make you feel good."

John almost thought Rodney would argue with him, but he let out a long breath and nodded slowly. "Fine," he said quietly.

That earned Rodney another brief, soft kiss before John pulled the blindfold off. "I'm really proud of you. I don't tell you that often, but I am. You're one of the bravest, smartest, most beautiful people I have ever known."

Rodney blushed, his cheeks turning pink. "You're just biased," he blustered.

John shook his head. "I am, but I would think that even if I didn't love you. I'm proud you're my partner, my lover, and my teammate."

"Even when I'm a whore for you?" Rodney's question was quiet, but it was a bombshell. It was also the first indication he'd seen that Rodney was embarrassed—at least a little—by his own needs.

John gathered the other man in his arms. "Oh, buddy, love, you're not a whore, not at all. We both like the dom/sub relationship, but there's nothing at all wrong with that. We're a couple, and we make each other feel good."

Rodney held onto him tightly. "Sometimes it's just…overwhelming how much I need you and the…connection, the headspace. I don't know how I did it before we started…this."

"I don't know how I ever lived without you either," John said softly. "But enjoying what we do together, how I make you feel, isn't wrong. Neither is craving that connection. We're lovers and partners before we're anything else, and wanting to be close to each other is part of that."

"Sometimes…sometimes I feel like I need your cock more than I need or want food and for me…that dependence scares me a little but it's also exhilarating."

John pressed kisses into everything he could reach. "God, I love you so damn much. I just want to take care of you, Rodney. Give you everything you want, everything you need."

"Just you. Want to make you happy, want to feel like this all the time."

"You do, Rodney. You make me happy every day."

Rodney captured John's face in his hands and leaned in for a sweet, soft and yet demanding kiss. There was tongue and wet and then his lover was devouring his mouth, tumbling them back onto the couch.

John let him have it, let Rodney run things for the moment, knowing the other man needed this, badly.

But when he felt Rodney's hand reaching for him, wrapping around his hardening cock he knew he had to stop this before this got too far.

Catching the hand, John pulled it up, breaking the kiss to press his lips into Rodney's palm. "I'll let you touch me later, as much as you want."

"Need you now," Rodney panted, already shifting his body to move down the couch.

"Rodney, we have to get the stuff done for the SGC..."

But he ignored John, ducking his head to breathe on John's cock, licking the tip and moaning.

"Oh fuck..." John tried to be strong, but his head fell back, and his cock gave a hard twitch. Somehow he found the strength to curl his fingers in Rodney's hair, holding him still and making them both whimper. "I want you to promise me that if I give you this now, you'll get your work done without giving me a hard time about it."

"Just let me…please."

"Promise me, and then you can."

"John…" Rodney whimpered.

"I want this too, but I..." His voice cracked slightly as Rodney's breath made him want to thrust up. "We have to get some work done, and I need you to be with me here."

"Your whore," he whispered, hovering inches from John's cock. "Want it, need it, please…"

"No." John forced himself to sit up, draw Rodney into his arms again. "You're not a whore. I won't let you think of yourself that way."

His lover was certainly single-minded tonight, his hand snaking down between them and grabbing John, stroking him.

The moan got out before he could stop it. "Rodney... Please... Just promise me, and then I'll let you have whatever you want..."

"You…just you…need you…"

Despite his resolve, John wasn't immune to the desperation in his lover's voice, couldn't help but respond to it. Neither of them would be able to work until they got this out of their system, and John just prayed that Rodney would calm back down again if he let him touch, taste. So he did the only thing he could—he leaned back and offered himself up.

With a moan of surprise, Rodney slid down John's body, enveloping his cock with his mouth, sucking and licking and humming. John could feel the tip grazing the back of Rodney's throat, but his lover didn't back off. Instead he settled down more comfortably, one arm looped over John's leg and hip, hand cupping John's ass cheek.

And then his lover proceeded to simply suck him—slowly, lazily—as if he had all the time in the world.

Wanting to give Rodney as much time as he needed, John swallowed hard, fisting the couch cushions. "If you… if you want me to last... for any length of time…I'm going to…to need some help."

But Rodney didn't pause, didn't falter, humming contentedly as he sucked John's brain cells out of his dick.

John bit the inside of his lip, and just held on for dear life.

By the time John's arousal crested high enough for him to tip over the edge into orgasm, Rodney had been sucking him for nearly half and hour. It had been thirty minutes of sheer pleasure and torture.

Because he had denied himself for so long, it was one of the stronger releases John had had in a while. His world went white, then black.

When he came to, Rodney's mouth was still wrapped around his dick even though it was soft and spent. The scientist was humming contentedly, purring quietly.

"Nnng."

How many times had he come this afternoon? John actually thought he'd lost track.

He shifted on the couch, raising an eyebrow at the stronger hum from his lover, and the way his hips were suddenly pushed down into the couch.

It was like Rodney just tightened his hold on John's leg and ass, nuzzling into the crease between John's leg and torso. Apparently the day spent in submission under John's desk was not an isolated incident.

"Is the cage getting painful at all?"

A negative sound was Rodney's only reply.

John ran his hands through Rodney's hair. "Do you have any idea how hot it is that you're doing this, and I know you can't even get hard?"

Rodney purred louder, sucking a little at John's spent cock.

It was almost painful, his dick so sensitized. It made him moan softly.

His lover stopped after a few seconds, his eyes closed, chest rising and falling evenly. He wasn't sleeping, that much was sure, but he'd certainly pushed himself down into subspace.

After the last few days, he knew Rodney needed this. So as much as he also knew they needed to get the SGC stuff done... with a soft sigh he let them have this. It was still pretty early in the evening, after all. And forcing Rodney up would be counter-productive.

Rodney continued to suck him randomly, purring and humming in contentment throughout the next hour or so. When John finally felt his lover shift, letting John's cock fall from his mouth as he nuzzled into John's groin instead, he began to pet his head, running his fingers through his lover's hair.

"Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?" John's voice felt rough with all the emotions he was feeling.

Rodney offered a hum in reply, a positive-sounding noise.

"Comfortable?"

"Mmm."

"I need to get my laptop and get some work done. I'll let you stay down a little longer. If you want to get under the desk, you can keep doing this while I work."

Rodney just snuggled in closer to John's groin.

John hummed a little himself, then started to sit up.

Rodney clamped his arms around John's mid-section, holding him in place.

"You're not going to let me work either?" John was feeling pretty damn mellow, and more than a little amused.

"No. Stay." Words. He'd gotten something more out of Rodney than a hum or purr or grunt.

Screw work. "All right. But why don't you come up here where I can hold you?"

"Comfy."

John raised an eyebrow. And this from the man who complained about mattresses and his back. He was scrunched up in some strange fetal position on like a third of the couch and he was "comfy".

John scritched his nails against Rodney's scalp. "I can't wait to get you on vacation, keep you like this for days on end."

"Mmm."

Chuckling, John tried to shift again, in an attempt to get more comfortable and give Rodney a bit more room.

Rodney just latched on tighter once again, becoming the immovable object.

"I'm not going anywhere, buddy. Just trying to adjust my position. If you want me to stay here for a while, I need to move so my back's not at a funny angle." John continued to pet his lover gently.

It took almost a minute before Rodney finally loosened his hold on John, letting him shift on the couch.

John found a much more comfortable position, shoving a pillow behind him for some support, and letting his legs fall open so Rodney could more easily snuggle between them.

And as soon as John stopped moving, Rodney shifted immediately and settled down between his legs, his nose bumping against John's cock. He shoved one of John's legs with his shoulder, humming in contentment when John finally lifted his leg, laying it over his shoulder and down along his back.

John swallowed hard, as a pleasant shiver ran through his body as Rodney once more, carefully, took him back into his mouth. It was warm and wet and so fucking perfect.

Even without the suction or the humming or nibbling, this was…really nice and amazing. And Rodney's couldn't come, couldn't even get an erection and he was already plugged.

If this was how their whole vacation went, John was pretty sure he was going to be as much of a puddle as Rodney by the end. And damn if he wasn't just fine with that.

John closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the sensation, the quiet cuddling they never had the chance to do on Atlantis. At some point later, he startled awake, realizing the living room was pitch black.

"Rodney?" John kept his voice quiet, not wanting to startle the other man if he was awake.

His lover sucked at him a few times before stopping.

John hummed—he was half-hard from the attentions his cock was receiving. "I need to get up and check the time."

Rodney didn't fight him this time when he moved, his dick dropping from his lover's mouth.

John ran a hand through Rodney's hair before slowly standing up. "Good boy."

His lover purred quietly, but otherwise didn't move. It was late, John realized, padding into the kitchen. Really late.

Great. All right, they would just have to take care of the questions in the morning, get up early and do them. He walked back to the couch. "Come on, buddy, let's go to bed."

Rodney didn't acknowledge John's words, curled into the end of the couch, his body silent and still.

John reached out, running a hand over Rodney's shoulder. "Rodney?"

His lover arched his body, pressing into John's touch.

Smiling, John caressed again. "Come on. Let's move to the bed. It will be a lot more comfortable."

Rodney followed John's hand, raising his body off the couch in order to get closer. Using it to his advantage, John kept his hand close, shifting just far enough away to have Rodney move forward. At one point, his lover had no option except find his feet in order to follow John, in order to have John's hands on him.

He smiled when Rodney rose to his feet, and rewarded him by allowing him to step close, press their bodies together.

He purred softly, rubbing up against John.

John curled a hand around Rodney's jaw, holding it still so he could brush their lips together, not allowing Rodney to deepen it. Then he stepped back, drawing the other man along with him.

Rodney went easily, eagerly. John could see his lover's eyes, blown wide, mostly pupil, the ring of blue barely a sliver.

Still deep in headspace, then. It made him smile, letting Rodney see how much he loved him. In the bedroom, he arranged Rodney carefully on the bed, and curled against him, pressing them closely together.

His lover shifted several times, plastering himself even closer before finally stilling, his hand over John's where it rested on his hip.

He had set the alarm before crawling into bed with Rodney, making sure it was early enough that they could get some work done before heading in. For now, he just closed his eyes and held his lover close.

"Thank you." The words were so quiet John wasn't sure he heard them.

He pressed his lips against Rodney's temple. "Sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"I…can't we leave now?"

"Three days. We can survive the SGC for that long. And then if you're comfortable with it, I'll help you drop down even before we leave for the airport. I can't let you go too deep, but I will let you start your submission then."

"Started already."

"We do still have to work. You have to answer the questions Carter sent you before we head in tomorrow. But I promise, get through the next few days, and I'll make it worth it."

"Thought we just had to look them over."

"We'll deal with it when the alarm goes off. For now, sleep. Relax."

"Am relaxed," Rodney said and John could hear the smile in his voice.

Smiling, John nuzzled a little. "Good."

"So good," he hummed.

"Can't wait to have you all to myself for ten days."

"Have me now."

"But I still have to bring you back to work." John kissed him again briefly. "We can't start or vacation early, as much as I'd love to."

"Can you fuck me?"

John moved a hand down, cupping the cage still around Rodney's dick. "Now?"

He arched into John's touch. "Yes, please."

He continued to caress, letting his hand roam. "If I do, you still won't come."

"So good," he repeated with a moan.

John lifted his head, tilting it slightly. "If I told you I was considering not allowing you to come until we were in Hawaii, what would you say?"

Rodney whimpered. "Really?"

"Considering it, yes. This cage is plastic, and if it can pass through the SGC detectors without setting them off, it can pass through airport security. But that's a big step—and one of the ways I've punished you before. It wouldn't be a punishment, and I would need to know you wouldn't think of it that way, would enjoy it, if I decide to follow through."

"I…I like…waiting…waiting for you. Pain…pain a much better deterrent."

John gave him a serious look. "I don't want it to be about pain, or a deterrent for anything, right now. Later in the week, yes, I'll probably spank you, and push you further than I have before to sink you as deep in headspace as I can get you, and then keep you there. But right now, it would be about helping you cope with the SGC."

"For punishment," Rodney clarified. "Pain works better than the cage. I…I like the cage…like waiting, like it when you control it."

John smiled. "Good to know. I prefer to offer you rewards for good behavior than punish you for bad, but I'll keep that in mind. Right now, then, I'd like to keep the cage on you. I'd like knowing that you're waiting, that you have something to anticipate when we arrive. And I like knowing it will keep you at least partially down, even when we're working."

"I’m all yours," Rodney whispered, arching up into John's body, lips pressing to John's.

Humming, John rolled, so he was on top, pressing Rodney into the bed as he deepened the kiss.

Rodney's arms wrapped around him, fingers digging into his muscles. The scientist spread his legs, allowing John to settle closer. Rodney's tongue tangled with John's for a while, rubbing and caressing before finally submitting to John's tongue.

He plundered, claiming. He was hard again, and shifted his hips, rubbed his cock against Rodney's stomach. Levering himself up a bit, he worked a hand down, rubbing against the plug still in Rodney's ass.

"Please," Rodney begged, arching between John's hand and body.

Working his way down, John pushed Rodney's legs up, draping them over his own shoulders. "God, you're so beautiful spread for me like this."

"Want you, please, John…"

John practically folded Rodney in half as he levered up enough to snag the lube. When he was back down, he slicked himself up before pulling out the plug, tossing it aside and pressing into his lover before Rodney had a chance to process it.

Rodney moaned as John slid in deep, as his balls pressed up against the back of John's ass. His hands fisted in the sheets next to his body, sweat beading along his hairline.

"God, so tight..."

"So good…please, move, please…"

Moaning, John started to thrust. Knowing Rodney couldn't come, couldn't even get hard, left John free, in a way. He was usually so focused on his lover's pleasure, he mostly ignored his own. Now, though, he just took what he wanted, let himself be a little selfish.

And from the sounds Rodney was making, he was loving every single moment of it. He was begging for it, begging John for more, begging him to let go and fuck him.

But John ignored him. This was, at the moment, not about Rodney. He continued to move slow, luxuriating in the tight heat, enjoying the way Rodney's body caressed his cock on each thrust.

When he realized John wasn't going to speed up, his lover tried to shift, tried to make John change his pace. His hands reached up, clutching at John's forearms.

"Hands above your head. This isn't for you right now." John froze, panting hard. "Your body is here for my pleasure, and I'll take it how I want. You don't get to decide the pace."

Rodney whimpered. "John, please…"

"No. You're mine."

"Please," he whispered even as his hands shifted, clutched together above his head.

"Good boy." John gave three fast, hard thrusts before returning to his slow and easy pace.

Rodney was melting beneath him, his hole slick from the lube and John's pre-come.

Closing his eyes, John just moved. Sweat was dripping off him, and he let himself get lost in the pleasure. After fucking Rodney for what felt like hours, his orgasm washed over him, leaving him shaking and blown apart. He managed to lower Rodney's legs and pull out before he collapsed to the bed.

The scientist was panting heavily and whimpering next to him, a soft moan with every exhale.

"Mmmm." John rolled, pressing his body against Rodney's.

Rodney's body trembled, his ankle wrapping around John's, but otherwise still.

John was still too sated to do more than press sloppy kisses against Rodney's skin. Finally, he managed to get his brain online enough to find language. "Y'okay?"

"Hurts," he whispered.

John pushed up onto an elbow, kissing the corner of Rodney's mouth. "Close your eyes and breathe with me."

Rodney obeyed immediately, his hands tightening over his head.

John rubbed slow circles against Rodney's chest, kissing his face lightly, keeping his breathing even.

It took a few minutes before Rodney brought his breathing in line with John, chest rising and falling in synch.

"Better?"

He nodded. "Little."

"Good." John found his mouth and kissed his lover lazily for a moment. "I'm going to get a washcloth to clean us up a bit."

"'kay."

He rolled off the bed and padded to the bathroom, taking care of cleaning himself before going back out to his lover. When all the traces of come had been cleaned away, he crawled back into bed, pulling Rodney into his arms. "Now sleep. We're getting up early tomorrow."

"Yes, sir," he whispered, cuddling into John, his body pliant from a good fucking.

Taking a deep breath, feeling incredibly relaxed, John closed his eyes and let go.

The next day they got up early, and took care of the email from the SGC. Rodney didn't complain; was, in fact, pliant and so perfect John had to fuck him again in the shower before they left for work.

The meetings weren't as bad as the day before, centering mostly on science and technical questions in the morning, and then strategy and supply needs in the afternoon. By the end of the day, John was pleased to see that while Rodney wasn't in deep headspace, he was a lot more relaxed than he would have been otherwise. His lover hadn't even gotten upset enough to yell about anything, just rolling his eyes a few times when people were being especially dense.

Finally, they were dismissed for the day, and he and Rodney wandered down to Jackson's office. John poked his head in the door of the cluttered room, afraid if he stepped too far inside, he'd never find his way out again. "Hello?"

"Just go in already," Rodney grumbled. "You might get pelted by a book, but it's safer than the science labs on Atlantis."

John eased a single foot through the door. "Daniel? You in here? Should I put together an S&R team?"

"Very funny, Colonel," came Daniel's dry reply. "McKay's right, nothing here to harm you unless you try to unbalance the books."

Easing his way inside, John eyed the piles—plural—of books warily. "Riiiight. We're done for the day, so I wanted to stop by and see if we're still on for dinner."

"Tonight?" Daniel asked, raising his head, his blue eyes wide behind the glasses.

John raised an eyebrow. "That was the plan, yes. But if you're busy, we'll just catch you another time."

"No, I just didn't realize tonight was tonight," he said with a slight wince.

Shaking his head, John looked for a place to slouch against, but finding none, settled into a relaxed version of parade rest. "Are you at a stopping point, or should we go ahead? I need to stop at the grocery store anyway—there is nothing edible in the apartment at the moment."

The sound of shifting books and artifacts echoed in the room and John turned to look at Rodney who was holding several things back from tumbling over the edge, even as he focused on one in the back of the shelf.

"I…no, it's fine. I just forgot, honestly," Daniel said.

"Rodney?" John tried to see what his lover was peering at. "Find something cool to steal?"

"Does that look Ancient to you?" he asked, pointing with his chin at the object he couldn't get his hands on.

"Ancient?" Daniel asked, padding over to the two of them. "Oh, yeah, probably. Jack couldn't get it to turn on so we figure it's dead."

John dodged around stuff and reached back, snagging the small item off the shelf and pulling it out.

Rodney shoved the other items back on the shelf, using the now empty space so everything wouldn't tumble off. "Give it here."

Chuckling, John handed it over. He hadn't even tried to think it on. He had learned that lesson early, and now waited for Rodney or Radek to tell him when something new should be activated.

"Huh," Rodney said, turning it over several times in his hands before looking at Daniel. "Can I have it?"

Daniel was peering at it, moving closer to stare. "Do you know what it is?"

"Where did you find it?" Rodney asked instead.

John knew that meant 'yes', but he stayed out of it. His lover was obviously up to something. Daniel shrugged. "I don't remember. I can track down the logs if you want."

"Yes. Do that," he said, still examining the object. After about a minute—and when Daniel hadn’t moved—he glanced up. "Aren't you looking?"

"Oh, you mean now?"

"Why would I mean any other time except the present?" Rodney asked, rolling his eyes.

Rolling his eyes, Jackson made his way to a laptop in the far corner of the room, pulling something up. John moved closer to his lover, leaning down so he was whispering against Rodney's ear. "What is it?"

"Not sure."

John peered at the little thing. "Want me to try turning it on?"

"I tried already," Rodney said, glancing up with a sheepish expression. "Besides, if it wouldn't start for O'Neill you don't have a chance in hell. Sorry," he said with a shrug. "I remember seeing something in Atlantis that would attach to this or it would somehow fit inside."

"Huh." John bumped his shoulder against Rodney's, and a moment later Daniel walked back over.

"We found it at one of the ruin sites. P3X-299."

 

"And that means what exactly?" Rodney asked, his voice sharp, as if he were berating one of his scientists. He'd actually been getting more confident as the day progressed, no longer hesitating with his answers. John was happy to see it, glad to know that some of what he was doing might be paying off. "I need context."

Daniel didn't take offense, just pushed his glasses up his nose. "Well, as you know there aren't many Ancient sites in this galaxy. By the time they retreated back here, they were weary of war. They pretty much stayed on this planet. However, there are a few exceptions, mostly, from what we've been able to determine, small research outposts. This site was one of those. Most of the complex had been destroyed—there wasn't even a working database we were able to retrieve any information from—but we did find a few artifacts like this one, and some really rather fascinating wall carvings. They had been mostly worn away, but—"

"Yes yes, they didn't believe in anti-graffiti laws, I understand. So this was an Ancient outpost or Ancient complex?"

Jackson shrugged. "We couldn't tell. To be honest, there isn't much left of it. We assume the Goa'uld probably destroyed it at some point, but all that's still standing is one small room, and even that is partially collapsed. There's a lot of rubble around though. There's still a team surveying the site, looking for anything more."

"How extensive was the site? Could you tell?"

"It was hard to tell. It wasn't massive, I don't think, but it would have had a few labs, probably, and some central rooms."

"Are you sure?" Rodney stepped forward, his hands gesturing as he spoke. "Maybe you just found one section of a much larger base. The planetary designation means it would be far off on the side, closest to the edge of the galaxy on the way to Pegasus, probably a planet along the Daedalus' path but also housing a Stargate. Correct?"

Nodding, Daniel peered at the item again. "Yes. And like I said, it's very possible there was more there at one point. There's certainly a lot of broken rock. We assumed it was mostly natural, but I can't rule out that it's all from crumbled buildings. But why? What do you think this is?"

"I can have it, right?"

"Sure. It's just a paperweight here. But you have to promise to tell me if it turns out to do something."

"It's dead."

"But you think it might be useful for something, otherwise you wouldn't want it."

"Maybe." John rolled his eyes. Rodney couldn't lie about stupid little things, but the big things he had no problems with.

He decided it was time to step in. "All right, you two can geek out over the toys later. I'm starving, and I want out of this mountain."

Daniel's glance jumped to the side. "Oh. I need an hour at least."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, John reached deep inside himself to find patience. "I thought you said before you were ready to go."

"Did I say that?"

He gave up. "All right, we're going to head out. We'll stop at the store and meet you at the apartment. Anything you're in the mood for?"

"Coffee," Daniel said without hesitation.

John rolled his eyes. "I swear, scientists are all part caffeine. I meant food. What do you want for dinner?"

"Oh, that," Daniel said with a shrug. "Whatever you want. I don't want to put you out."

"I'll see what looks good then." John chuckled. He was highly amused by Daniel, who reminded him in some ways of Rodney. "We'll see you in about an hour and a half then?"

"Yes, yes," Daniel said, already headed back to his computer.

John put a hand on Rodney's elbow, steering him out the door. "We'll see you in a bit then. Don't lose track of time."

"You'll need to call him," Rodney said, his voice not even lowered in volume. "He'll forget."

John laughed at the affronted look Daniel tossed them as they moved out of the office. "I'll give him a call when we get to the apartment."

"Good idea," Rodney said. "We need to get enough food for a few meals."

"Yeah. I figure we can get enough to keep us fed for the next few days, and have something to come home to, as well. I'd like to see how the steaks look. If they have nice cuts, I might want to do that for dinner tonight."

"Good idea. You need more fat on your bones."

As they stepped into the elevator, both of John's eyebrows went up. He glanced down at himself. "You think I'm too skinny?"

"Boney."

"I'm lean. Built like a runner."

"Boney," Rodney said, his eyes sparkling with humor. "Those hip bones are dangerous."

John smirked and cocked the hip in question. "I need the bones to keep my pants from falling down."

"As if you actually try to keep them on in the first place," he whispered.

"Mmm. Well, I can't deny that pantsless is far superior to most other states." John gave his lover a heated once-over. "Especially on some people."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Cameras…"

"Hey, you don't have to worry about inappropriate bulges..." John muttered, forcing himself to look away and taking a few deep breaths. He told his cock very firmly that getting hard in the elevator at the SGC was a bad idea.

"And you love every minute of it," Rodney whispered, the elevator doors opening a few beats later.

"Always." John took a few deep breaths before following Rodney out, heading to the second elevator that would take them to the surface. It was incredibly hard not to let his eyes drift down to admire the full ass on display ahead of him.

Rodney glanced over his shoulder and smirked, shifting on his feet as he waited, his ass moving with him.

John growled, deep in his throat, before he could catch himself. Fortunately, there was no one else around. He wanted to push Rodney against the wall, pull the BDUs down to expose those luscious globes, and kiss and mark them until the other man was panting with it.

Rodney just chuckled, turning back to the elevator, stepping inside when the doors finally opened for the last leg of their journey to the surface.

John retaliated by stretching as soon as he was in the elevator, letting his shirt ride up to expose a thin strip of skin.

But Rodney only smirked, shifting so he was facing the doors, his back to John.

"Mmmmmm." John kept his voice low, knowing his edge of arousal would be audible. He gave up the fight, and oogled a little, letting his eyes do what his hands couldn't. Yet.

When the elevator deposited them on the ground floor, Rodney strode out heading directly for the guard station. He bent over the table, angling his ass out as he signed his name to the roster. He moved through the gate a moment later, walking slowly toward the parking lot.

John had to shift, trying to hide the growing bulge in his pants. He really wanted to be inside that ass. He quickly signed out, and pulled the keys from his pocket, eyes glued to Rodney's ass.

Rodney kept walking, headed for the pool car. John knew they couldn't do anything until they were away from the Mountain, but Rodney was just so damn tempting.

Once they were in the car, John had to touch, He put one hand on Rodney's thigh, squeezing. "As soon as I get you home... God, that ass..."

"I thought we were going to the grocery store and you had to cook."

John groaned. He had managed to completely forget about that in the short walk. "Right. Food. God... I want to fuck you."

"I’m still full of your come," Rodney whispered, shifting his leg under John's hand.

John was hard now, his pants tight as they cleared the gate and started for the city. "I want to push you against a wall, pull your pants down just enough to expose you, pull out the plug and fuck you hard and fast. Fill you again, then push the plug back until I decided to do it all again later."

"So what's stopping you?" Damn it. Rodney was such a tease.

"Grocery store. We'll be quick, and before I call Jackson, I'm going to take you hard."

"You're going into the store like that?" Rodney asked, his hand sliding over John's thigh, his palm settling over John's cock and pressing down.

"Oh..." John's hips shifted up and his breath hitched. He bit his lip, forcing himself to keep his eyes on the road.

"You feel so good, John," Rodney whispered, pressing a little more.

John was panting now. "I can't... go into a store... if you make me come in my pants." He cut his eyes over. "Think you're coordinated enough to blow me while I drive?"

Rodney shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"Damn." John whimpered as his lover started to knead John's cock through his pants. "What about if I park?"

"Where? Pretty open out here."

John started looking, grateful when he spotted a parking garage for a mall. He drove them all the way up, to the top. There were a few other cars around, but no people. "Please, Rodney..."

"Hmm?" Rodney hummed, unlocking his seatbelt and leaning closer to John. "You wanted something?"

"Your mouth. My dick." John popped the button on the BDUs, pulling himself out through the slit in the boxers. "Now."

"Right here?"

"Yes," John pushed the seat as far back as it would go, leaning it back. "I want you."

"I thought you were going to fuck me."

"God, I want to." John pulled Rodney over, kissing him deeply. "But that's a little hard in the car. Take the edge off for me now, so I can get through the grocery store. I'll fuck you as soon as we're home."

Rodney's voice was low, dirty. "Wouldn't it feel better to be deep in my ass?"

John whimpered. He loved when Rodney was playful like this. It turned him on so much it hurt. "You're the... engineer. Figure out how to make it work and I'll be inside you so fast you won't know what hit you."

"You'd like to take me right here, wouldn't you? Right in the middle of this parking lot. Anyone could see, anyone could walk into the lot and what an eyeful they'd get. My pants around my ankles, you pounding into my ass…"

"Yes...." John arched again. "Want to be inside you. Knowing you can't come, it's just for my pleasure, to show you off..."

"You want it bad, don't you?"

"Yes..." John hissed as Rodney wrapped his fingers loosely around his now-aching cock.

"How bad, John? How much are you willing to risk?"

"I want you. I don't care how, but figure out a way." John panted, curling his hand loosely around Rodney's arm.

Rodney leaned in, whispering in John's ear. "I love how you feel when you fill me, stretch me, fuck me. Feels so good."

John moaned. "Killing me..."

"I love it when you touch me, fuck me. You say I’m so tight, how I caress your cock…"

John broke, he tried to climb over the seat, growling with frustration when the confines of the car stopped him.

Rodney chuckled, low and dirty. "You need to take the seatbelt off first."

John fumbled with it, making another frustrated noise until Rodney reached around, unhooking and untangling him.

Rodney leaned into John, lips next to his lover's ear. "Wouldn't it be better to drive back to the apartment? We can go inside, you can fuck me, feel how tight and hot my ass is. And then, you can go to the store, leaving me home waiting for you…"

John moaned again, melting into the seat. He gulped in breaths, trying to get enough concentration to not kill them driving. Putting the seat back up, he pulled Rodney into a searing kiss. "You have one minute as soon as we walk through the door to be naked with that ass on display for me."

"Oh why?" Rodney said, his hand pressing down on John's erection.

Whimpering, John started the car again. "Going to take you hard and fast. Please Rodney... I need you..."

"Shouldn't I be saying that? I'm the one going without."

As he eased them back out into the street, John had to focus hard on not crashing. "You're not going without. You like having me inside you, playing with you, more than you like coming." John shot him a heated, approving look. "And I love that about you."

"Mmm, I do. You feel so good inside of me, filling me," Rodney purred, hand tracing patterns on John's thigh, fingers grazing over John's cock.

"On vacation, you're going to be filled so much... Even your greedy ass will be satisfied."

"I don't know about that. It's pretty greedy."

"That sounds like a challenge." John grinned. He loved that they could tease and laugh, even when he was so aroused it hurt.

"You know how it gets," Rodney whispered, his hands still moving. "When you take out the plug or your cock, it shivers, twitching, puckering and begging for more."

John made a soft noise, shivering with need. He was really, really glad they were almost home. "I'll make sure it gets all it wants."

Rodney pressed his hand to John's cock again. "As long as you get what you want."

Pulling into the parking lot, John threw the car in park and pulled Rodney into a hot kiss. "You. Always what I want is you."

"My ass is needy," Rodney whispered.

"I need your ass. It's a good combination."

"Wants to be filled with something other than the plug."

John kissed him again, then pulled back. "Upstairs. Get naked. Get that ass in the air so I can fuck it properly."

"No." Rodney smirked.

John moaned. "What do you mean, no?"

Rodney's eyes twinkled. "Make me."

Breath hitching, John grinned. "All right. But we have to get inside first."

Rodney smirked. "Make me."

John pulled him over, kissing his lover hard, plundering his mouth until Rodney opened up, moaning. Pulling back, John nibbled at the other man's bottom lip before kissing his nose and slipping out the door.

"What was that for?" Rodney exclaimed when John rounded the front of the car, all bluster.

"Because I wanted to." John grinned, opening Rodney's door. He wrapped his fingers around one of Rodney's wrists, squeezing slightly and tugging.

It didn't take much pressure to get him on his feet; that single touch, the grip around his wrist firm.

John knew how tightly the cuffs usually were around his lover's wrists. He tried to keep that same grip, tugging Rodney out and toward the door. He got the apartment door open, and as soon as they were in, he twirled Rodney and pushed him hard against the wall, pressing himself into the other man's back. "Mine."

Rodney pushed back, trying to shove John away.

John wasn't giving any though. Rodney had body weight, but John had training and he used it. He used one hand to keep his lover pinned, the other snaking around to try and unhook the buttons on Rodney's pants.

But Rodney shifted, managing to grab John's wandering hand with his own, fingers around his wrist.

John put his forehead against Rodney's shoulder, panting hard. He was so fucking turned on it hurt.

"You're not getting very far."

"S'because all my blood is in my dick. Makes it hard to think."

"Never stopped you before."

John shifted so he could press his aching groin against his lover, grinding into him. "I'm just catching my breath."

Rodney arched back into John, rubbing against him. "Oh why?"

John had to whimper. It felt so good. He decided to take a tactical risk, pulling Rodney away from the wall and pushing him to the floor face first, straddling his lover's thighs.

He huffed, the air rushing from his body as he landed on the floor. The few moments it took Rodney to catch his breath was all the time John needed to make sure he had Rodney good and pinned.

"Hmm, you were saying?"

"You're still…still not fucking me."

"Yes, but we're getting closer." John grinned. "You don't have any particular fondness for this shirt, do you?"

"What?" Rodney squawked. It wasn't an old shirt, but it was one of the shirts John wasn't that fond of. Besides, it would give them another excuse to go shopping.

Still grinning, John shifted so he could keep Rodney pinned with one hand, pulling his knife out of his boot—he was really glad he hadn't bothered to alter his habit of always being armed just because they were on Earth. With a quick slice, he ripped Rodney's shirt up the middle. The little bit of struggling Rodney did then allowed him to pull the material out. Moving fast, he used it as makeshift rope, binding Rodney's hands behind his back.

"John! My shirt! It was…you just…" Rodney struggled and squirmed beneath him, tugging at his now-bound wrists.

Now that Rodney couldn't stop him, John stood up, admiring his work. "Mmm, very nice. I'm going to get the lube and a clean plug. I'll be right back."

Rodney, though, wasn't giving up that easily. He immediately rolled onto his side, managing to get himself upright and shoved against the couch. He was still struggling to get his hands free.

John didn't take long, returning to the living room in less than a minute. He was impressed with the shirt—it was still holding.

"You cut my shirt!"

John grinned. "I had a better use for it. Besides, now I have access." He crouched down, reaching out to fondle a pert nipple.

Rodney shifted away from him. "Nonono, this isn't fair."

"You did say, and I quote, 'make me.'" Chuckling, John didn't let him get far. In fact, since he was here, he undid the buttons on Rodney's pants.

"Are you going to cut those off, too?"

"If I have to." Catching Rodney's face, John dove in for a kiss.

Rodney battled with him, not giving in easily.

John was patient. And horny. So he kept demanding, pressing, until Rodney finally surrendered, opening up and letting John inside.

He swallowed Rodney's moans, holding onto his lover's chin until he felt the first shifting of loosening muscles.

Pulling back slowly, John smiled against Rodney's lips. "Good boy."

"You don't fight fair," Rodney complained as soon as he caught his breath.

"Sure I do. I just play by my rules, not yours." He slid his hands down Rodney's body, under the material of his lover's pants.

Rodney shifted again, this time shoving his legs together and curling up a little.

"Still struggling?"

"What do you think?"

John shook his head. "I think I'm going to take you into the bedroom, tie you down, and really fuck you properly."

"I think you're going to have to work for it and time is getting away from you already."

Humming, John stood again. He got his hands under Rodney's arms, and pulled up, trying to force the other man to his feet.

Rodney didn't help him, instead making his body a dead weight.

Huffing, John raised an eyebrow. "You really want me to go to the grocery store with blue balls, don't you? Get me all hot and bothered, then don't let me fuck you."

Rodney smirked. "Maybe. Are you giving up already?"

"I could just take you here." Since Rodney was back on the floor anyway, John flipped him back to his stomach, yanking the loose pants down so they were bunched around Rodney's knees, effectively restraining them. And showing off that ass he had been burning for what felt like hours now. "So beautiful..."

His lover tried to roll back onto his side, but John wasn't having it.

He got hold of the plug and pulled, slipping it partway out before letting it slide back in.

Moaning, Rodney stopped shifting, his body starting to tremble for another reason. The only issue, though, was that with his pants bunched around his legs, there was no way John was going to fuck him like this. He didn't have enough room.

He decided to make sure Rodney was good and pliant first though. He slowly fucked his lover with the small plug, making tiny movements. "Think how good it will feel when it's my big cock doing this. Moving inside you, filling you."

Rodney's hands were clenching behind his back, opening and closing as John fucked him with the plug. He was panting and moaning, John listening carefully to the tone of his sounds.

When he heard the noises that meant Rodney had fallen over the edge, John let go of the plug, watching as it sank back into his lover's greedy ass. He yanked Rodney's pants the rest of the way off along with his boots and socks, and then urged his lover to get up on his knees.

"John…" he whispered, begging quietly as John shoved Rodney's legs apart.

Pulling the plug completely free, John had himself out and slicked up almost instantly. And then he was finally, finally pushing into that welcoming heat. "So good..."

Rodney groaned, pressing his cheek into the floor, trying to brace himself without the use of his hands.

John got a good grip on his lover's hips, holding him steady. He was too turned on for slow and sweet. As soon as he felt Rodney relax around him, John started to seriously fuck, taking Rodney hard.

It was rough and he knew Rodney was probably getting floor burn on his cheek, but John didn't care. In his own way, this was Rodney's own fault. Had he just sucked him off in the parking lot and played nice, they wouldn't be here like this. Although, this was damn fun.

He felt like he had been hard for hours, so it didn't take long until John was coming, pouring himself into his lover. With a sated moan, he collapsed down against Rodney's back. "So good..."

His lover whimpered, the extra weight sending him crashing to the floor.

John rubbed his face against Rodney's shoulder for a moment, then forced himself to sit up. He grabbed the plug he had retrieved from the bedroom—one of the largest they owned at the apartment, actually—and when he pulled out he pushed that in his place.

"Oh god…" Rodney moaned. "So big….god, John…"

"Mmm. Glad you like it." John got to shaky feet and reached down to help Rodney climb to his feet. "How are you doing?"

His lover shift on his feet, turning to face John, his eyes wide and nearly all pupil. "Filled….fucked…"

John had to steal a quick kiss. "Perfect. Come with me." He led the other man toward the bedroom.

"What? Why? We have to go out."

"No. I'm going to run to the store. You're staying here."

"But I thought—"

John cut him off with another kiss, then pushed Rodney to sit on the bed. "I'm going to put your cuffs on. Are you going to fight me again?"

"But I thought Daniel was coming over," he said, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"He is. But he's not here now." John took advantage of the confusion to untie Rodney's hands and replace the torn shirt with the leather cuffs, locking them in place.

"But we have an hour, two at most," he said, shifting a little away from John. "What are you doing?"

John hummed to himself, pouncing before Rodney really knew what was coming. In less than a minute, his lover's hands were secured to the headboard. "I'm tying you up."

"But John!" Rodney's eyes had gone wide, voice higher pitched than normal. "We need to go to the store and get food for tonight. We can't just…do this now."

John smiled, kissing Rodney's nose. "There always time for this. Besides, I'm going to the store as soon as I get you set up."

"What do you mean? Wait! You're going to leave me here? Like this?"

John put cuffs on Rodney's ankles, and clipped them to the bed too. He loved the bondage bed—it made this so much easier. Next, he pulled out a set of nipple clamps, setting them where Rodney could see them.

"John, come on. I was teasing before."

"And I liked it. I love when you get in that mood." Smiling, John attached the clamps. "It gets me in the mood."

Rodney groaned, arching into John's touch, into the bite of the clamps. "John…"

John kissed him again, resting a hand in the middle of Rodney's chest. He gave them another moment, then with a sigh pulled back. He grabbed a headset for the phone off the bedside table and slipped it over Rodney's ear, placing the hand unit where Rodney could reach it, even tied. "If you need me for any reason, call my cell. I shouldn't be long."

"John! You can't…you can't just leave me like this!"

"I am. You can stay here and enjoy being filled, knowing I'm thinking about you all tied up and waiting for me."

Rodney shifted on the bed, tugging at the restraints. He moaned at the sensations, whimpering a little when he couldn't move.

John took another moment to admire his lover before slipping into the bathroom to make himself presentable again. When he was, he headed back out. "Call me if you have any problems. In the meantime, just relax and enjoy."

"Come on, why can't I go with you?"

"Because now I'm feeling toppy, and I want you tied to my bed."

"But Jackson's coming to the apartment! And it's my bed."

"He knows we're together. That's actually why we're having dinner with him. I'm interested in hearing his take on how to have a relationship and be teammates and friends at the same time. You want anything special from the store? Other than coffee?"

"Wait a minute, he knows? How does he know? I didn't tell him."

"He guessed, when he helped us get home the other night."

"What do mean he guessed? What did you do?"

John kissed him again. "I was intent on making sure you were okay. That's all. Don't worry about it. And I really have to go get food, if we're going to eat tonight."

"And you have to let me up, too."

John eyed his lover carefully, flicking idly at the clamps. "Do you really want up, or are you just protesting because you think you should?"

Rodney moaned, his eyes sliding shut as his body reacted.

"I'm thinking it's option B. You really want this, want to be tied down and plugged, owned by me, kept by me. In a few days, you'll exist just for me and my pleasure, and nothing else. For now, I'm going to let you have a taste of that now. You're going to stay here and wait for me to come home and play with you again."

He moaned again, louder this time, tugging ineffectively at the restraints. "John…" he whispered.

Licking his lips, John brushed their lips together again. "How about this: I'll talk to you the whole time? Over the phone. It would be really hot to be in the store, knowing I'm talking to you like this."

Rodney groaned, trying to arching into John, trying to deepen the kiss.

But John wouldn't let him. He pulled back and fished his own cell phone out of his pocket, along with the bluetooth headset. He put it on and dialed the apartment, making sure Rodney's was working. "I'll be right here in your ear, and I'll be back in the flesh in no time."

"John," he groaned and John heard it in stereo—in person and over the phone.

John pulled the keys out, and winked at his lover, heading back out. "So talk to me. Tell me what you're feeling right now."

"I hate you right now," Rodney whispered, but his tone was anything but mad.

"Tell me how the plug feels. What do the clamps feel like?" John grinned as he got in the car.

"The plug? Clamps! You want me to do what?"

"Tell me what they feel like. How it feels inside you, on you. When you shift, and they move, what does it make you think?"

John could hear Rodney shifting, his breathing altering. "Full. I feel full and stretched. It's hard, much harder than your cock."

Licking his lips, John was glad the grocery store wasn't all that far. He pulled into the parking lot, finding a spot quickly. "What else?"

"I…I like it. When I bear down on it, I swear I can feel it all the way down to my toes."

"Mmm." John had to work at not moaning—he was already getting a weird look from a little old lady as he grabbed a cart. "Do that now, a few times."

John could tell as soon as Rodney obeyed. His breathing hitched and he moaned, his body shifting against the bed. John could hear the swoosh of skin against the sheets. "Good…so good," he panted.

He had to shift a little, glad he had something in front of him as he walked through the store, grabbing what he needed. "What about the cage? How does that feel?"

"Secure…caress…"

Swallowing, John made his way to the meat counter. "Keep moving, feel the way everything holds you, moves inside you." He glanced over the cuts, pleased to see three very nice steaks. He pointed them out to the butcher. "I'll take these."

"Of course, sir," the butcher replied, reaching into the meat case and pulling out the items John requested.

"Feels good…want you…"

John's breath hitched—okay, so maybe phone sex while grocery shopping hadn't been the smartest of his ideas. He managed to say thanks as he took his wrapped package, hoping he sounded normal. He was thinking mashed potatoes and a salad to go with the meat, so he started for the produce section next. "When I get home, I'm going to take you, hard."

"Now?"

"Soon." John knew his voice was getting husky.

"Want to feel you touching me, caressing me, sending me higher and higher…" Rodney moaned quietly, breath hitching a little.

"Imagine it. Imagine my hands on you now, caressing you, touching you." John noticed another little old lady looking at him, and he blushed, bright red as he grabbed the vegetables he wanted.

"Want you," Rodney panted. "Your hands feel so good, know just how to touch me…"

John licked his lips again, rushing through the store to get the last of the things he needed. Butter, cream, coffee, eggs, milk, a chocolate cake and berries for dessert, and a variety of other things to last them for the next few days. "Are you starting to feel desperate for it? For me?"

"I love you, love when you do this, when you play with me…feels so good, makes me want more."

"And this is just a taste. You're going to have this for days. Just you and me, playing, making each other feel good."

"Please," Rodney begged, voice breaking on the word. "John…want you…"

"Soon. I'm in the checkout line now." John's BDUs were tight across his groin. He just hoped no one noticed.

"Please, John. Want your hands on me, want to feel you pressing me into the bed, kissing me, please…want you…I’m so full, it's so big…stretching me for you…"

A small moan slipped out before John could stop it. Both the cute cashier who looked like she was barely old enough to drive, and the woman she was checking out—the same one from the produce section, turned to look at him.

"Forget something?" the cashier asked innocently.

John licked his lips again. "Ah…no. I'm…I'm good. Thanks."

Rodney was still babbling in his ear, talking about his nipples and John's hands. "…good when you lick them, bite them…"

Biting his bottom lip, John resisted the urge to reach down and touch himself. He had to move carefully putting his items on the belt.

"Paper or plastic?"

"Um... plastic." John's voice was a little breathy, so he swallowed and tried to smile at her.

She returned the smile and began packing his groceries as she rang them up. Rodney had moved into his own little world, talking quietly, describing things that he liked and how they felt. Everything was tied together in a vast stream of consciousness with pants and moans and whimpers.

John loved hearing Rodney talk—this was only turning him on further, ramping him up. He was grateful when he was finally given the total, and could pay.

Handing over his credit card, he let him mind wander a little, signing on the line when she put it in front of him and gave him the pen. He was sure he could get Rodney to beg when they were on vacation, beg to be fucked, to be touched. That would be…really hot.

He didn't realize he had made a noise until he realized the cashier was looking at him again, this time with wide eyes.

"Sir?"

"Yes?" He handed over the pen, aware he was blushing again.

"Is there some kind of problem?"

"Ahh, no. I'm good. Better than good. Need anything else?"

"No, sir," she said, her eyes shifting to the older woman stacking items on the belt behind John. "One suggestion, though. Phone sex in the supermarket might not be a good idea."

He felt himself go completely hot, knowing he was probably a remarkable shade of red. "Um... I'm just... going to leave now..."

"Good idea."

Still flushed, John grabbed his cart and fled. That Rodney was still whispering dirty things in his ear just made it hotter, somehow. He tossed the food in the car, and pressed the heel of his hand against his groin as soon as he had the door closed behind him. "Oh god, Rodney..."

"…so full…wish it was you…wish you were touching me, holding me to the bed, fucking me…"

"I'm on my way now. Soon. I'll be inside you soon."

"…you feel so good…want you so badly…want to feel you…"

As he pulled into the parking lot of the complex, John groaned when he saw Daniel getting out of his car. Figured, the one time he had to be on time. However... jumping out of the car, John caught his attention and tossed him the keys. "Hey, wasn't expecting you yet. Mind bringing the groceries in for me?"

"Oh? I thought you'd be cooking already."

"Got a little sidetracked." Rodney moaned in his ear, making John lick his lips. "I got steak, so it won't take me long to make. If you'll bring it in…I have something I need to go do inside."

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "Do you need me to come back in a few minutes? Maybe go get some wine or beer?"

John grinned. "I didn't get any wine, so if you want some. Do you mind?"

"I know Rodney doesn't cook, so I'm guessing you have something…important to finish," he said. "I'll be back in about an hour."

"I don't need that long. Give me thirty minutes." John blushed. "Thanks, Daniel."

"Rodney might need longer. I'll get some red wine."

"I'm making steak, mashed potatoes, and a salad. I also got a chocolate cake and some tart berries and cream for dessert. By the time you get back, I should have everything pretty much ready."

"Good. I'll be back. Try to be…done," he said, waving his hand as he tossed John the keys and headed for his own car.

Grabbing the bags, John shoved everything in the fridge for the moment, heading into the bedroom. He tossed the phone aside and climbed onto the bed with Rodney. "Oh god, need to touch you."

"John…" Rodney whispered, arching into John's body as much as he was able. John tugged the headset from his lover's ear.

And then he was plundering his lover's mouth. John let himself get a little lost in the kiss, hands wandering over Rodney's body.

And his lover reacted perfectly. He squirmed under John, arching into his hands, moaning into his mouth.

He kissed his way down Rodney's chest, flicking his tongue against the clamps before moving lower. "I need to be inside you."

"Please," Rodney begged, the sound so sweet. John would have to unhook his legs in order to do that, though.

He moved quickly, getting his own pants unbuttoned and his aching erection pulled out. Bending Rodney's legs back, John pulled the plug free slowly, letting Rodney feel every inch as it came out.

His lover moaned, the sound coming from deep in his chest. As soon as John slid out the plug, he watched Rodney's hole, semen dripping out, the hole twitching, begging for more.

He needed to be in there. Grabbing the lube, he slicked himself and pushed in, loving how open and welcoming Rodney's ass was.

"John!" Rodney half yelled, half moaned, squeezing down on John's cock.

He knew they didn't have a lot of time to draw this out, so John found an easy pace, taking his pleasure and enjoying Rodney's body.

His lover was so open, so eager and willing. He was moaning and whimpering constantly, continually. Offering up all kinds of sounds for John.

"Rodney..." John moaned his lover's name as he came, shivering with the force of it. He stayed still for a moment, panting, head down, before slowly pulling out and fitting himself along Rodney's side.

Rodney tugged at the restraints still securing his wrists and moaned when he couldn't. He shifted his leg instead, wrapping it around John's as he panted and whimpered.

After giving them a few minutes of just being together, John sighed, lifting his head. "I need to go start dinner. Daniel will be back in about forty-five minutes."

"'kay," Rodney whispered, his body still trembling every few seconds.

"I'm going to go clean the plug, and put it back in you. Then I'm going to dress you again and tie you to the chair in the kitchen to keep me company while I cook."

"I thought Daniel was coming."

"That's while you'll be dressed instead of naked. I can untie you when he gets here. Probably." John rolled off the bed, grabbing the plug and padding into the bathroom, leaving the door open so he could still talk to Rodney.

"Can I go to the bathroom before you put the plug back in?"

"Yes. And if you want to wear the plug tonight and tomorrow, I'll need to clean you inside really well. UTIs aren't on the agenda for next week."

"No. Definitely not for you. There should be an enema kit somewhere in there."

John raised an eyebrow, glancing at the door as he washed the toy. "You have an enema kit? Why?"

It took Rodney nearly a minute to answer, his response hinted with embarrassment. "I got some the last time we were here."

"Huh." wandering back out, John gave his lover an appraising look. "That was good forethought. Though I have to admit I've never had or given one before, so this will be new to me. We'll deal with it tonight. For now," he unhooked Rodney's wrists from the bed. "Go take care of business and come on back out."

"I used to give them to myself when I was in Siberia."

"Huh." John had gotten himself tucked away, and was leaning against the bed while Rodney was in the bathroom. "What does it feel like?"

"I don't know. It was just something I did to make sure I was clean."

"As long as it doesn't hurt, that's fine." John smiled softly when Rodney reappeared.

"No, it doesn't hurt," Rodney said, moving right to John and wrapping his arms around him.

"Good." They kissed lazily for a moment, before John sighed. "I need to get the food going."

"I think I’m missing something," Rodney said quiet.

Smiling, John picked up the plug, one hand still resting against Rodney's hip. "Stick that pretty ass out for me, so I can take care of it."

His lover moved over to the bed and leaned over, spreading his legs for John and waiting.

John dropped to his knees and pressed a kiss to each cheek before he slowly pressed the pre-lubed toy into his lover, filling him once again.

Rodney moaned as his ass closed around the neck of the plug, holding it inside of him.

Standing, John urged Rodney to turn around. "I'm taking the clamps off now, and getting you dressed."

His lover allowed John to move him, shift him, his eyes blown out, mostly pupil. He leaned forward, brushing his lips against John's.

With lots of little kisses and caresses, John took off the clamps and got his lover into a loose pair of khakis and a soft tee-shirt, and led him out to the kitchen. He used a few straps to tie Rodney to the chair, so he would be able to see the whole room, and then retrieved the food that had been shoved into the fridge. First, he needed to get the meat in the broiler, then he needed to peel the potatoes and start them boiling.

Rodney was quiet, eyes half closed. He wasn't sleeping, more like a half-awake state. He leaned into any of John's touches, pressing kisses to palms and skin when he could.

He loved these quiet times, when they could be domestic together. When the doorbell finally rang, dinner was mostly done—the potatoes just needed to be whipped, but the meat was almost done, and the salad was ready. John unlocked the straps on Rodney's limbs, tucking them in his pocket. "That's Daniel. I'll be right back."

"Hmm?" Rodney opened his eyes, throwing John a puzzled look.

Chuckling, John gave him a quick kiss before moving to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To get the door." John paused, looking back and giving Rodney a soft smile. "Daniel's here."

It took a long moment before recognition dawned. "Oh. Dinner."

The bell rang again, and John nodded before moving to open it. He smiled sheepishly at the scientist standing there. "Come on in."

"It safe?" Daniel asked poking his head in, taking a deep breath. "It certainly smells good."

"It's safe. We're in the kitchen. Since this isn't a big group, I figured we could eat there—it's less formal."

"Of course," he said, offering John two bottles of wine. He closed the door behind himself and shrugged off his coat, dropping it over the back of the couch.

John led the way back into the kitchen, glancing over at Rodney, who hadn't moved. "Want me to pour the wine?"

Daniel shot John a raised eyebrow. "Sure."

John waved Daniel into a chair, pulling out the wine glasses and pouring—although he only gave Rodney a half glass. His lover was already relaxed, and John didn't want him passed out later.

Rodney blinked twice, shaking himself a bit. "Jackson," he said quietly. "You found your way out of the labs."

Daniel nodded. "I wasn't going to risk missing a Sheppard meal. You look really relaxed."

"I'm surprised you know the word."

"I could say the same for you." Daniel smiled. "It's good to see you like this."

John caught Rodney's eye and smiled. He liked seeing Rodney this relaxed, too.

"I know how to relax," Rodney huffed, finally shifting on the chair. "I just choose to do it on rare occasions. I'm preparing for my vacation."

John had strained the potatoes, and was mashing them by hand, rather than drag out a mixer. He was using the island so he could still see and talk to the other men. "Two days and counting."

"It can't come soon enough," Rodney said with a soft smile.

Their gaze met, and for a moment John forgot about Jackson, caught in clear blue eyes and soft pink lips.

Daniel cleared this throat a few moments later. "Should I be here?"

Starting, John went back to mashing, feeling his face heat. He was doing a lot of that today. "Sorry. We'll behave."

"That kind of thing is what will get you in trouble."

"We're not as bad when we're in public." John shrugged. "But I don't see any reason to pretend when I'm in private, and not with people who already know about us."

"Keeping them separate is hard," Daniel said, taking a sip of his wine. "You'll give yourself away eventually. You'll be tired, you'll forget."

John glanced at him. "That happened to you?"

"Jack's not in Washington because he wanted the promotion."

John winced. "Their idea of punishing him was to send him to play politics? What if he had refused?"

"He didn't have the choice."

"At least he wasn't discharged. And he's still a respected member of the SGC. So it's not all bad, right?"

"We see each other four times a year, if that. You tell me."

John swallowed hard. "I... Wow. I'm sorry. There's not anything you can do?"

"They're not going to let him retire until they've wrung every last drop of blood from his veins," Daniel said quietly. "It's…we've decided to wait them out, but it's not easy. We slipped up, messed up. We didn't think anything would happen, figured we were safe. We were wrong."

"You could come to Atlantis." John blinked. He hadn't realized he was going to say that, but knew he meant it. If they wanted to come, even if it would mean his own position would change...

"No, we can't. Jack's doing some good here."

"You're a civilian—you can't just move to Washington?" John set the now-finished potatoes on the table with the salad, and went to the oven to check the steaks.

Rodney was listening carefully, taking everything in.

Daniel shook his head. "I'm a contracted employee of the US government and I've been assigned to work at the Cheyenne Mountain complex. Without prior authorization I can't just pick up and move to another assignment."

"So you're down to just seeing each other a few times a year." John's chest hurt just thinking about it. "I... How can you stand it?"

"Missions keep me busy. That and my research."

"More to life than work. I'd... I can't imagine not being able to touch Rodney, not see him."

Daniel glanced down at his wine, swirling it around. "If I can help you to make sure it doesn't happen to you…"

John put the steaks on a serving platter and joined the other two at the table. "I appreciate the help. I... Our relationship is a little different than most. If we were separated long-term..." he shuddered.

Daniel nodded, eyes glancing between John and Rodney, his gaze lingering on Rodney's wrist. John could see the edge of one of the cuffs peeking out from under his lover's sleeve. Whoops. "I can see that," Daniel said evenly. "It's actually quite an interesting lifestyle choice, going back hundreds of years."

They passed the food around, John smiling at Rodney, who seemed content to just listen for the moment. "It works well for us."

"And if you go back to some of the ancient civilizations, you find it mostly among the upper class, in societies where intellect was treasured," Daniel said. "Interestingly enough, it was encouraged and supported among the community and those engaged were respected. The societies usually flourished and progressed well from a cultural standpoint during those times."

John had never really thought about it before. "Huh. It makes sense though—it's part of why we work so well, I think. I take care of him so he's free to focus on the science and other important things. He knows I won't let him push himself beyond what he can handle, and if he starts to feel stressed, I'll take care of it." John reached over to squeeze his lover's leg.

Rodney offered a small smile, handing over the bowl of potatoes to Daniel after taking some for himself. "And John has been good about knowing when to push and when to back off. It's still a work in progress, but it's very rewarding when we're both in sync."

"It is hard sometimes. I have to balance between helping, and smothering. I hope I get it right more than I get it wrong. I think I do."

"Well, if McKay's current state of relaxation is because of you, then I think you're getting something right," Daniel kidded. "Because I would have sworn there was no way he would ever be this…mellow—even after sex."

"Should I be worried that you've thought about what my partner is like after sex?" John raised an eyebrow, teasing right back.

"I have my own partner, Sheppard. One's enough."

Laughing, John nodded. "Good. I can't imagine O'Neill likes sharing any more than I do."

"No, I don't," Daniel shot back with a smirk, taking a bite of his steak.

Shaking his head, John had to laugh again. "All right, so tell me what we can do? It's more or less an open secret on Atlantis. I have to admit, I have a hard time not shouting it from the proverbial rooftops that Rodney is mine, and everyone else needs to keep their hands off. I want people to know I have an amazing partner."

Jackson shook his head. "As much as you think Atlantis is different, it's really not. While DADT may be loosely enforced on base, there are some people—even open-minded ones—who would have an issue with your relationship. All it takes is one word, one slip of the tongue and everything could come crashing down."

Sighing, John took a few bites of food while he thought. "I'm not going to live my life in the shadows. Precautions and being careful are one thing. Pretending like I don't care everywhere except the bedroom isn't an option."

"It's for your own good."

"I can't, Daniel. I can be more careful than I have been, yes. But..."

Jackson leaned forward, his eyes intense. "I’m trying to help you. Jack and I…Jack and I were outted by someone we trusted and look where it ended up. Being careful is one thing. Being smart about it is better."

Flinching, John looked away. "I know. So what do you suggest? You didn't know until I was looped out of my mind, right? What else are we doing to give ourselves away?"

"Honestly? I knew when you were here last, or at least had the inkling. You were fighting like a married couple."

John glanced at Rodney, a wry smile on his face. "We don't do that very often."

Rodney snorted. "As if."

Grinning, John leaned over to press a kiss into the side of Rodney's forehead. "You don't feel the need to fight me very often. Well, not seriously anyway."

"Because I haven't needed to," he countered, rolling his eyes.

"That's not a bad thing."

"Either that or I've just become complacent and lazy."

"I have a ripped tee-shirt that says otherwise."

Rodney snorted again, letting his fork drop to his plate. "That was different and you know it."

"I do know it." John caught his lover's face and turned it so he could press a soft kiss into those crooked lips.

Daniel cleared his throat again.

John grinned, letting his hand drop and turning back to his meal.

"And my point about an old married couple was just proved," he said, shaking his head.

"You're telling me you and O'Neill aren't like that when you're alone, or with close friends?" John raised an eyebrow.

"Alone yes. Close friends? Maybe just Sam and Teal'c, but that's it."

"That has to be hard." John sighed again. "When he retires, what will you do then?"

"Probably quit, or maybe move to a consulting role. He has a few years on me so I'll probably end up working longer. We…we've talked about it on and off, even the possibility of moving off-world. We'll have to see what feels right when the time comes."

"How many years does he have left?"

Daniel shrugged. "Depends on how many people Jack's pissed off."

"What are you hoping for then? I can't imagine either of you are happy being separated like this. Long-distance relationships are hard."

Daniel huffed and took another bite of his dinner. "It gets lonely, but we've both dealt with long-term abstinence, so…" He shrugged. "We'll play the game until we can't anymore."

John glanced at his lover. "So give me some suggestions."

Rodney sighed and shook his head. "We've been down this road before, John, and I don't think you want to spend the night arguing about it."

"No, arguing is not on the agenda." He sighed. "However, I am willing to listen. Give me some ideas—I won't promise to take any of them, but if you point out my more obvious slips, I'll do my best to curb them."

"Stay professional, very professional in public," Daniel said quietly.

"We are friends—that's been established since the beginning. If we suddenly start being super polite to each other, people will notice."

"It's fine that you're friends and are familiar with each other, you are team members, but there are friends and friends, if you understand," Daniel said. "As much as it hurts, you can't let anyone know—anyone more than you've already told. As it is, I'm guessing it's already too many."

John nodded slowly. "Probably. It's all people I trust, but... okay." He looked at Rodney. "I'll do my best to curb it in public. I don't want to hurt you by outing us and getting us separated."

"I'm guessing romps in the supply closets might need to be curtailed, too," Rodney said with a half smile—teasing but serious.

"Hey, I only do that when I'm desperate." John grinned, then sobered. "I will be more careful. I know I've been a little lax with it—I guess I trust my people, and I hate not being able to tell the world how I feel about you."

"I trust you and I know I've been…accommodating," Rodney said, blushing slightly.

"Mmm. Accommodating isn't a bad thing. I'm the one who should know better." He reached over to squeeze Rodney's leg again.

"And I should have the ability to say 'not now' sometimes," Rodney said quietly. He looked over at Daniel who was quietly watching their conversation. "We've…you're right. More people know than should, but I trust them, we trust them. We can't go around second-guessing ourselves or jumping at every shadow."

Nodding, John leaned back in his chair. "Okay, so we'll be more careful in the future. We can't change the past, so that's all we can do."

"How many people know?" Daniel asked, food long forgotten.

They shared a look, and John started counting them off. "Elizabeth and Carson. Kate. You and Carter. Some friends of mine who aren't with the military. Cadman. Lorne and Parrish. Zelenka. I think that's it, right?"

"I'm not sure about Carter. I think she might know, but I didn't tell her. She might suspect," Rodney corrected. "There are some others who know that we're bi, but making the leap to us as a couple won't be that hard, especially since we share an apartment."

"You what?" Daniel's disbelief was tangible.

John smiled. "We share an apartment in Atlantis. And before you freak out on me, we aren't the only ones. Officially, Rodney and I are sharing because we're senior staff and setting a good example. We were running out of single rooms, and wanted to open the larger suites, but it means having a roommate. By volunteering, we started a rush. There are two rooms, so pretty much everyone except the people we named believe we each have our own."

"Who else are sharing?"

"My second and one of his teammates were right after us—they live across the hall—and I think almost all the others are filled now, right?" He glanced at Rodney to see if his lover knew. There were twenty suites total in their section, but John hadn't looked at the housing lists in a while, so he wasn't sure how many were full.

"They're all full," Rodney nodded. "I didn't pay attention to who."

"Yeah, me neither. Mostly people like us, who are teammates in the field as well."

"And this was approved?"

John nodded. "We needed to relieve the housing crunch with new personnel coming in, and because of its location, it took less power to occupy this section than to open up another wing of singles. The entire senior staff approved the plan, and it's been pretty popular, from what I've heard. It's a hard life, living in the middle of a battle zone like that. Having someone around, even a roommate, at the end of the day is helping lot of people cope with the day-to-day weirdness."

"I guess," Daniel said, not looking convinced. "It's just very…risky for you."

"Not as much as you'd think. Like I said, most of the base assumes we're doing it to set a good example—which we are. Someone from senior staff had to be the first, or no one would have done it. Rodney and I are already teammates. Not to mention, Elizabeth feels that she needs to keep some distance, and Carson needs to keep his room near the infirmary. So that left us as the only real options. Even if we weren't lovers, we'd be living together right now anyway."

"Somehow I doubt that."

Chuckling, John shrugged. "While I unofficially know that we aren't the only ones getting some added benefits from the suites, I also know there are a lot of people who are just roommates, too."

"All kinds of couples?"

John nodded again. "I'm not going to tell other people's secrets, but yes. There are all kinds, both of the legal and technically illegal kind."

"The scientists are allowed to shack up," Rodney said, rolling his eyes. "It's the backwards US military that has the issues."

"Hey, if I could repeal that, I would. If people know about O'Neill, and he's still so well-respected—a real hero—maybe people will start changing their minds..."

"Doubtful," Daniel said with a sigh, picking up his fork again and pushing around his potatoes. "Seems like it has just gotten harder lately."

"They won't let him retire, but they're making his life difficult?" John was surprised at that.

"His skills are needed and because of some of the…things he's done, they have him until they're done with him." Daniel shrugged. "What they really need is his gene and the loyalty he engenders from the members of the SGC command. They don't see it that way."

"He's got the years in though." John leaned forward, trying to understand. "If he wants to leave, how would they stop him?"

"I don't know and Jack won't say, but he can't leave. Not now."

John reached across the table, awkwardly patting Daniel on the hand. "If there's anything we can to do help..."

He shook his head. "Already tried. Jack's…trapped in a way."

"Still. If you think of anything, don't hesitate to ask us to help. And if we come across anything you could use, we'll make sure to pass it along."

"There's nothing to do, short of disappearing and we have too many ties, too much at stake to do that." He took a breath, focusing back on John. "But with you…I'd like to help you as much as I can so that way you don't find yourself in a similar position."

John smiled softly. "Thanks. I'd rather not find myself in a position to have to choose between never seeing Earth again, and being permanently bound to it. This is my home world, but Atlantis is home now."

"Jack and I don't have that option," he said. "We are really bound to this planet and these people. But a lot of my advice boils down to being careful, safe. To keeping the secret even though you'd rather yell it from the top of the spires."

"I can do that. Well, I can try at least. I'll let my times when we're either by ourselves or on vacation be enough—for now. I will say this though; when we decide to retire, all bets are off."

"And please don't tell anyone else."

"We won't. At least not intentionally. Other than Elizabeth and Carson, most of them have been accidents."

"And you can't afford them," Daniel said, his voice firm, the fingers gripping his fork so hard the edges turned white. "You don't understand. Sheppard. You know your standing in the military. They'll use anything they can against you to keep you from Atlantis, from each other. And McKay, have you looked at the fine print in your contract? I know you've worked for the government since you were young, but you might be surprised at just how much of your soul you signed away when you became part of the program. They might own more of you than they own of Sheppard."

John and Rodney exchanged a long look. When his lover shuddered slightly, John reached over, lacing their hands together.

"I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes we're just an investment for them. If they're not getting the results they want, they can change things, move things until they are working the way they want them. It's just…business, to them."

Sighing, John closed his eyes briefly. "We're... insulated from that, at least a little, in Atlantis. Or at least insulated from knowing about it. It's easy to forget about politics and playing the game when every day is a battle just to survive. Things like worrying about who people love and who they spend their off-hours with become so low a priority they don't even register anymore."

"But you need to remember that you're part of it. As soon as you step foot from Atlantis, you become fair game. And even there they can still reach you."

"We should make all the politicians serve in the front lines for a month or two. I bet then the priorities would align right."

"Doubtful. They'd find someone else to do it for them," Daniel said dryly.

"True." John shook his head. "And now that we've all depressed ourselves, let's try to enjoy dinner. What less dark gossip do you have for us?"

Daniel kept up a rather lively discussion with John throughout the rest of the night, but Rodney had quieted considerably since their conversation. He was eating and listening, answering questions directed at him, but otherwise remained silent. The small touches weren't being shrugged off, but his body had stiffened considerably, tension radiating from him once again.

After dessert, they had moved to the living room, and finally, the evening was wearing down. John yawned, stretching. "I don't know about you guys, but I think I'm about done for the night. We still have two more days to get through before we're free."

Daniel rose, offering John his hand. "Thank you again for dinner. It was fantastic as I knew it would be. And I'm sorry I brought such bad news, but I'd rather you know what could happen—and realize it already has."

John shook his hand, squeezing lightly. "You're more than welcome for the dinner, and thanks for the advice. I will take it to heart, especially when I'm on Earth. I know I need to be more careful. You just drove it home. I don't like it, but I will try harder."

"Good," Daniel nodded, his gaze shifting to Rodney. "Try and enjoy your vacation. The torture is almost over."

Rodney nodded, offering a small, resigned smile. "If we don't see you before we leave, have a good mission."

John saw Jackson to the door, then locked it, returning to Rodney. "Hey. How are you doing?"

"That's what I was worried about, you know, the witch hunt."

"I know. You were right, and I was wrong." John sat next to him, tugging Rodney over. "I did know it. I guess I just figured with all the SGC sees on a regular basis, this would be the last thing they would care about."

"I need to look at my contract, too."

"Tomorrow. It's late, and I don't know about you, but I really am exhausted."

"I need to find it tonight. I need to know if I'm as trapped as Jackson said I am."

John looked at him closely. "You know whatever it says, it doesn't change anything, right? I'll be more careful, but neither of us is planning to leave Atlantis or our positions there anytime soon."

"Don't you understand?" Rodney asked, turning to face John a little better. As he continued, his voice started to rise in volume. "No matter what we might want to do, we probably have no say in what happens to us. We might want to stay in Atlantis, but it really comes down to the fact that we're just some fucking pawns to the SGC to move when they feel like it because they have some greater strategy that they aren't going to tell us plebs about in the first place."

John cupped both his hands around Rodney's face. He let his lover see he was worried too, not trying to hide it. He kept his voice soft though, soothing. "I know. But we can't live our lives worrying about it. We'll plan what we can, and I'll do better in the future, but I'm not giving you up. Period. End of story."

"You might not have that option," he said, trying to shift away, but John held him in place.

"No. They might have the right to try and move us around, but they can't change the way we feel about each other. And they can't stop us from loving each other. You're too brilliant for them to let walk away, and next to O'Neill I have the strongest gene; and I have better control over it than he does because I use it more. Someone might—and I stress the might here—try to make our lives hard at some point, but we'll get through it."

Rodney sighed, closing his eyes. John could see the resignation in his lover's body, hear it in his voice. "I need to find my contract."

Knowing Rodney wouldn't be able to relax until he had read it, John kissed him gently, then sat back. "Okay. I'll help. Where do you want me to look?"

"I…I'll do it. I think I know where it is. I need to do this, John."

"I know you do. I just don't want you to let it worry you. Go find it then, and we can talk about it after you've read through it."

Rodney huffed. "Too late."

"I don't have any regrets." John held his lover's gaze. "There isn't anything I would change."

"I'll regret if our relationship gets you kicked out with a dishonorable discharge. You've worked far too hard for far too long to let that happen."

"You're more important to me than my career, Rodney. You're more important than flying. I'd walk away from it and never look back if it means I get to keep you."

"John, no," Rodney said, shaking his head. "Don't say that."

"It's true. I don't have any plans to hasten the choice along, but if it ever comes down to one, there is no choice—I'll stay with you." John needed to make Rodney understand.

"I won't let you give up flying. I know how much it's in your blood."

"I don't want to. I'm selfish enough to want it all. But, Rodney... The way I feel about you... it's more than flying ever could be."

Rodney leaned in, pressing his forehead to John's, breathing heavily as if he'd just run a marathon. They stayed like that for several minutes, just breathing in each other's air, allowing the connection to comfort them, calm them.

Finally, John tipped Rodney's face enough to press their lips together. The kiss was soft, sweet. They said the words to each other often, but somehow it was more tonight. It was all the things they couldn't articulate, emotions that were so beyond just 'love' that neither of them knew how to express it other than like this.

They let the kiss end naturally, their bodies pressed closely together on the couch.

"What do you need tonight?" John breathed it softly, letting his breath make the tiny hairs on Rodney's neck dance.

"I need to find my contract. Right now, beyond that, I don't know."

"Okay. Do that then, and we'll go from there. I want to get this resolved to at least the point where you're comfortable again before we go to bed. I don't want this to intrude on our vacation."

"We leave in two days."

"I know. But I don't want you stressing about it between now and then. I know you well enough to know that will make it hard to take you as deep, and as fast, as I want you to go when we do get off."

"This is important, John. It's important to me."

John nodded. "That's why I want to do it now. I don't want to put it off, and leave you to worry about it alone. Go get your contract and let's look at it."

"I'll be back in a bit," he said, headed for the spare bedroom.

John relaxed into the couch, stretching out. While he knew they had to take Daniel's warnings seriously, and he would be more careful, he wasn't overly concerned. He just hoped Rodney wouldn't let something stupid like this come between them—nothing had changed, they just had more information now.

He could hear Rodney shuffling around in the back closet, small thumps and scrapes as he dragged and moved things around. After nearly ten minutes, John got up, moving to clear the kitchen table and clean up a bit—anything to keep him busy.

He had just finished putting the clean dishes away when Rodney reappeared. "Find it?"

He had a thick pile of papers in his hand, some dog-eared and ratty, some still pristine. "I…yeah. Daniel was right."

"What does it say?" John moved behind him, wrapping his arms around Rodney's waist and trying to peer over his shoulder.

Rodney took a breath, leaning back against John. "I'm not an 'at will' employee. I'm a contracted employee of the US government and through a series of loop-holes that I didn't bother to read before, they own everything I find, everything I discover until the end of the contract—which is be determined by them—and the discoveries will be limited to what they deem acceptable for the work that was done. Meaning everything that's classified—which is virtually everything I do—will probably never see the light of day. And, any discoveries which are released according to their schedule, I won't even get full rights to the products created."

John pressed his lips to the side of Rodney's neck. "Okay, so what does that mean in real-world terms? Right now everything's classified anyway, so nothing will be released. But when they do eventually let stuff dribble out, do you really think they wouldn't give you the credit for it? They need the best and the brightest, and if they screw over people like you and Carter, they'll have a hard time getting them in the future."

"They could decide never to release any of my projects until I'm dead, John. It's up to them and their damn schedule. And I can't really quit, either—not if I want the one chance in hell of actually being able to publish something from all the work I've done."

Blowing out softly, John squeezed his lover closer. "So what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. I have to think about it, read it through a little more."

"Do you want to sleep on it, or do you need to do it now?"

Rodney took a deep breath. "I need to think about it. I don't think I'm going to be able to do anything about it now, or even a week from now. They own me, John. Own me and my work and for me not to realize that until some damn archeologist had to tell me…"

John squeezed again. "I'm guessing it's the same contract all the scientists of the SGC had to sign. Why don't you set it aside for now? When we get back to Atlantis, sit down with Radek and Simpson and some of the others. Bounce around some ideas, and even if it doesn't come to anything, it will make you feel better."

"I know. I was so careful about my other contracts with them. I should have known better, but the chance to go to Atlantis…"

"And they knew that. No one wanted to be left behind, not because of a clause in a contract. So a few politicians took advantage."

"A few?"

John shrugged against Rodney's body. "I'm guessing. I have no idea who had a hand in the contracts to be honest, especially not for the civilian personnel. Elizabeth would probably know, though."

"Maybe." Rodney sighed. "Do we need to do anything else? I think sleeping would be a good thing right about now."

John blew a small raspberry in the side of Rodney's neck, just because he could, and he wanted to make the other man smile. "Sleep would be a good thing.

"Now?"

"Yeah. Let's go get naked and cuddle."

Rodney snorted, the sound amused. Good. John had at least gotten a partial smile.

John blew another raspberry before drawing back, grinning.

"This is serious."

"I know it is." John turned his lover around so he could brush their lips together. "But right now there isn't anything we can do about it, so I'm reduced to trying to make you smile."

"I’m not in the mood."

John hugged him close, then let his hand drop down to curl with Rodney's. "Let's go to bed then."

"Do we need to clean up?"

As they walked into the bedroom, John shrugged. "I wouldn't mind a shower, but I can live without one too, if you're not up for it."

"I was referring to the kitchen, not us, but showering might be a good idea. I just don't know if I have the energy. You can go."

"I already took care of the kitchen. And why don't we take a quick one then. No shower sex, but I'll give you a soapy massage, see if I can help you relax a bit so you'll be able to sleep."

Rodney turned toward John, offering a small smile. "I won't turn down a massage."

Returning the smile, John slowly undressed his lover, letting his hands skim over each patch of revealed skin. He wasn't trying to arouse, but just to comfort and relax Rodney.

He leaned into John's touches, closing his eyes, giving himself to John.

John quickly stripped himself, then led Rodney into the shower. He made the water as hot as he knew Rodney could stand, arranging the other man so he was leaning facing the wall, head pillowed on his own forearms. John worked up a good lather with the soap and started to knead at the tense muscles in his lover's shoulders.

Rodney simply let John take care of him, moaning quietly as his lover worked the knots out of his back. He was slowly beginning to relax, but it wasn't quite enough for John. There was only so much relaxing that could be done standing up.

John worked his hands up into Rodney's hair, washing it, before he washed away all the suds. He took a few minutes to quickly clean himself, then shut off the water. "Come on. Go lay down on the bed where I can get better leverage."

"Are you sure?" Rodney asked, his eyes at half-mast, letting John dry him off.

"Mmm hmm. S'relaxing for me to put my hands all over you. Almost as relaxed as it gets you."

"Are you sure?" he asked again, turning toward John.

John leaned in for a quick kiss. "Very sure."

"You know you don't have to do this. We can just go to sleep."

Rolling his eyes, John grabbed Rodney's hand and led him back out, giving him a little shove toward the bed. "There's no 'have to' about it. I like touching you, and I wasn't kidding when I said doing this relaxes me as much as it does you. I want to."

"I just don't want you doing this because you feel like you have to," Rodney said, crawling onto the bed toward the center. He flopped down in the middle, arms and legs spread wide. "Mmmm….bed."

Chuckling, John climbed on top, straddling him. He started once more to run his hands all over his lover's broad, sexy body. "You feel so good..."

"Mmm…so do you."

John was half hard, and he shifted his hips, rubbing himself against Rodney's perfect ass. It was almost luxurious, the chance to just touch like this.

Once John dug in his fingers, it didn't take long for Rodney to really begin to relax under his hands. The hums and purrs of contentment started about ten minutes in.

John decided that even if he couldn't get Rodney to drop all the way into headspace tonight, if he could get his lover to a dreamy, relaxed place, he would count it as a win.

"Oh…right there," Rodney whispered as John hit a tense spot.

Focusing, John worked that spot until he felt the knot just give under his fingers. "Better?"

"Yeaaaaah," he said, drawing out the vowel.

That made John smile, his hands skimming, looking for more spots he could release.

He found another three, Rodney relaxing even more as each one of his muscles let go.

John kept up the massage until his hands were starting to ache. He started just running the palms of his hands over the smooth skin, almost hypnotizing himself with the repetitive motion.

"Sleep," Rodney whispered, the word barely reaching John.

"Mmm?"

Rodney shifted minutely, John's hand sliding to the side. "Sleep."

John blinked a few times, finally registering. "'Kay." Moving slowly, he crawled off, going for the light before curling into Rodney's body.

His lover snuggled in close, breathing deeply, evenly.

***

Rodney managed to sleep soundly through the night, waking up refreshed—much to his surprise. Daniel's comments—and revelation—had really unsettled him. The realization that his work wasn't really his own…

Yeah, that still didn't sit well. He needed to talk to Zelenka and maybe Simpson. See if their contracts were the same. He'd have to wait until he got back to Atlantis before he could do anything more about it. Right now he needed to make it through one more day of meetings and interrogations.

John stirred against him, snuffling into Rodney's shoulder, but not really waking up yet.

Rodney tightened his arms around him, shifting closer.

His lover made a happy noise, and Rodney felt a nose pushing into his skin.

"Morning," he whispered.

"M'r'ing."

"As much as I hate to say this especially after last night, we have to get up soon."

He got a warm puff of air and a tightening of arms. "Last day. Then vacation. Can't wait to have you to myself."

"Mmm…and you can do all kinds of things to me."

"And I plan to. Going to play with you hard."

"Push me to the edge?"

"Yes. Going to take you to it and keep you there."

Rodney hummed, cuddling closer. "You can do all kinds of things to me. I really want you to push me, take me places I've never gone."

John lifted his head, brushing their lips together. "I plan to. That's one of the reasons the cage is staying on now—I want you a little desperate by the time I let you come again. Want to take you soaring so high, you'll leave atmosphere."

"I'll wait as long as you want me to."

"Good. You're not coming until we get there, at the soonest. And maybe not right away, even then. See how I feel." John smiled. "Going to be a great trip."

"We need it badly, the vacation."

"Yeah. We really do." John kissed him again, then sighed. "All right, let's go do this. We can get through one more day."

"You think so? I'm wondering what other bombshell they're going to drop today."

"Think positive. We fly out tomorrow, and I don't want either of us stressed when we do."

Rodney snorted. "You really do come from another planet, don't you?"

His lover grinned as he sat up. "I'm an intergalactic man of mystery."

Rolling his eyes, Rodney waved his hand, smacking John's arm. "You are no James Bond."

Laughing, John rolled out of bed. "Sheppard. John Sheppard, at your service."

"And what service might that be?"

As he padded across the room, John sashayed his hips, glancing back over his shoulder. "It varies from person to person. For you... full service."

Rodney rolled his eyes again, shifting on the bed so he was on his side, watching John's body as he moved. He really was beautiful, all long lean lines covering muscles of steel that had the ability to slouch without causing permanent bodily injury to himself. To others was still up for discussion.

John pulled out clothes for both of them, walking back over to the bed. "Too bad we don't have a pole. I'd totally do a dance for you if we did."

"Would you really? Since when has pole dancing been on your resume?"

"I can dance. And it would be fun to watch your eyes bug out and your dick get all hard and weepy as I did it."

"Maybe," Rodney smirked.

Laughing again, John sat on the edge of the bed, leaning in and kissing Rodney softly.

"Mmm," he hummed into the kiss, arching up a little. They had morning breath, but he didn't care. He let his one hand move to rest on John's hip, thumb sliding gently against skin.

John deepened the connection, shifting so he could run a hand down Rodney's chest, thumbing at a nipple.

Oh yes, Rodney thought as he moaned. John's hands were so talented, knowing every spot to make him crazy, to make him feel good.

Breaking the kiss, John looked down at him, expression full of love. "I want to be inside you."

Rodney smiled, already feeling the tingle in his body from low-level arousal and knowing he couldn't come, wouldn't come until John wanted him to. "Where do you want me?"

With a groan, John got Rodney on his knees, head and shoulders on the bed with his ass in the air. Instead of just diving in, however, John just caressed him, pressing soft kisses into each cheek.

It was so…perfect. Every touch, every caress calmed him, reminded him of John's love and of his promises and of the time they had coming to them. John's fingers played with the base of the plug for several minutes before tugging it out, patting Rodney's ass as he shifted off the bed with a quiet "stay here". A quick glance showed John heading for the bathroom. The running water a moment later told Rodney that John was washing the plug so he could put it back in when he was done.

He shivered and smiled. John's come would be in him all day.

A few minutes later, a warm hand was on his back, rubbing. "Can you take me like this, with no additional prep?"

"Anything you want," he whispered, wanting to feel more of his lover.

Rodney felt the push of John's cock against his entrance. His lover moved slow—Rodney was tighter than when they usually did this, but it was perfect.

The lube on John's cock stopped it from catching, from hurting. They were both breathing heavily by the time John was fully sheathed inside of him.

"Oh... Rodney... God... you're so..." John was panting hard.

"Take your time. I'm not going anywhere," Rodney managed to say after a few moments had passed. "Take your pleasure, John."

"God... so tight..." John was panting hard.

"Here. Not going anywhere," Rodney said. It felt so good, felt so perfect.

Slowly, his lover started to move. Rodney could feel every inch out and back again, like he was being caressed from the inside out.

This would stay with him just as long as if John had fucked him hard. Every time he shifted today he would feel it, remember these moments.

John kept that pace for what felt like a long time, long enough for Rodney to get lost in the sensations. Finally though, his breathing started to speed up, and the thrusts got harder, faster.

Rodney forced himself to relax, felt John slide into him easier as his muscles molded to John's cock, letting him thrust in deeper.

John started to mutter soft words, dirty words, about how good Rodney was, how good he felt. The thrusts got even fast, and Rodney knew he was getting close.

"John, please," he whispered, wanting to feel his lover tip over the edge, fill him up.

With a groan, John's grip tightened on Rodney's hips, probably leaving new marks. A moment later, a rush of heat filled Rodney's body.

Rodney groaned, his own desperation on the edge, but held tightly under control thanks to the cage. But John felt so good, felt so good inside of him, filling him. He could feel the barest trickle of come sliding down the inside of his thighs.

John finally moved, pulling out slowly, and immediately pushing the plug in his place. He collapsed onto the bed next to Rodney. "Need to clean you out tonight, so you'll be ready for hard play when we leave."

His lover blanketed his body, spooning behind him and wrapping his arms around him. "Hmm," Rodney said, letting John's touch relax him, calm him.

Light, nibbling kisses were pressed into the back of his neck. "Love you."

"Today. Just have to last through today."

"Yeah." John held him for a bit longer before finally sighing. "We should get moving. Get it over with so we can officially go on leave."

"I know," Rodney said with his own sigh.

John kissed the back of his neck again, then rolled away. "We'll stop for the good coffee on the way in."

"Good coffee?" Rodney asked as he rolled onto his stomach, pillowing his head on his arms.

"Starbucks. I'll even let you get the triple venti mocha you love so much."

John had been watching his coffee intake ever since Kate had suggested it back on Atlantis a few weeks ago when he'd been…well, the truth was he'd been suicidal and depressed. The withdrawal headache had been hell, but not being so wired at night from the caffeine had helped him sleep. If John was offering for him to have the one drink that was like the supreme caffeinated and sugared beverage in the world then he must still be trying to make him feel better about last night.

"I could drink one of those."

John's smile was bright and happy as he ducked into the bathroom, washing himself quickly. "I thought you might. Just don't chug it, okay?"

"I'm guessing afternoon coffee would be out, then."

Grinning, John tossed over a set of clothes. "Yeah, no. I want you to sleep tonight. But if you have one this morning, it'll be out of your system by tonight."

"Oh why? Vacation starts tomorrow. I can sleep in."

"Nuh uh." John's hips were distracting as he wiggled his way into a pair of BDUs. "Our flight is pretty early."

"Are we staying here tonight or in Denver?"

"Here. The flight's not that early, but we will have to get up and get moving. I want us to be comfortable tonight though, and I don't know how late we'll be at the SGC."

"I thought it was supposed to be a half-day."

"It is, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. I don't want to be disappointed if someone decides to keep us a little longer."

"We still have to pack."

"I know. That's what we'll be doing tonight too. You won't need much since you'll be naked for the most part. I'll need a few things, but I'll be in my swimsuit for a lot of it, probably. I'm thinking we can get away with just one large suitcase."

"I'll be naked the entire time?"

"Most of it, yeah. Since this is a kink resort, no one will think twice about it if you're out in nothing but a cage and a harness, on the end of my leash."

Rodney shivered, just thinking about what they were going to do.

John moved back to the bed, his hand skimming down Rodney's side. "I'm going to enjoy showing you off, showing how beautiful you are, how responsive. Everyone there will want you, but I'm the only one who gets to have you."

"Mmm," he hummed, letting his eyes close.

He heard a soft chuckle, then lips brushed over his hip. "Come on. The faster we get there, the faster I can let you sink down and stay there."

"Or the faster the SGC sucks us into one project or another."

"Think positive." John tugged him out of bed, leading him into the bathroom where the traces of their morning activities were carefully cleaned away. Then Rodney was dressed, with lots of soft touches and kisses to his body along the way.

As John tugged on the last piece of clothing, Rodney's stomach growled and he smiled sheepishly. "I think it might be time for breakfast."

His lover grinned, nodding. "We can get muffins at Starbucks, too. A little pre-vacation treat."

"As long as they keep the lemon stuff far away from the chocolate ones."

"We'll be sure." John laced their fingers together as they walked out into the living room.

Rodney nursed his coffee until nearly noon, heating it up a few times during the morning. They'd separated them as soon as they'd stepped onto level twenty-seven. Thankfully Carter had led his interrogation. It made it a little easier to handle, but not by much. She asked hard questions, demanded answers even when he tried to side step them. She—they wanted to know why he'd made certain decisions and not others.

Lunch was spent in the mess, John looking nearly as beat up as he felt. It was an hour in the middle of a crowded room, but the quiet conversation and the feel of the plug and the cage kept him grounded.

John rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I'm almost done. You?"

"I hope so. I don't know how many more questions I can answer about Doranda."

John grimaced. "What do you think about grabbing take-out on the way back to the apartment tonight? I don't think I'll be up to cooking anything."

"That would be great. Chinese? I would love an egg roll."

"Sure. I could go for some lo mein. I haven't had it in ages."

"Fried rice. Sesame chicken."

John chuckled. "We'll get a variety of stuff and share, how's that sound?"

"Oh. And beef and broccoli."

John shook his head, but he was still smiling. "Let's see if they have any green tea, too. I could go for a cup."

Rodney made a face. "No tea. Oh…maybe dumplings, too. The fried ones."

Still laughing softly, John stood up. "Make us a list. I'll see you hopefully soon."

"Hmm…maybe spare ribs, too."

He caught the edge of John's snort of amusement as the other man moved out of range.

Rodney hummed to himself, making a mental list for dinner. He could already see there were a lot of pints on the agenda for tonight. Lots of grease and MSG and salt and….yum.

Another body dropped into the seat John had just vacated—Daniel. "What's got you looking so dreamy?"

"Take-out."

One of Daniel's eyebrows went up.

"Do you know the last time I had Chinese food? A year! Maybe more."

The other eyebrow went up, and Daniel laughed. "I forget you guys don't have access to the things we take for granted."

"I hope we get hamburgers too before we go back. Hmm…maybe we can get both tonight."

"Just don't make yourself sick. You're getting on a plane tomorrow, aren't you?"

"I think so," Rodney said, adding a few more things to the list. Cheetos would be perfect. Oh, and Cracker Jacks.

"Well, I know Sam's expecting you back soon. I'll walk with you, if you don't mind. I think you're almost done though. From what I heard, they only have a few more follow-ups, and then they're kicking you out for a week."

"Ten days," Rodney said, rising to his feet and leaving his tray. Someone else would grab it.

"Whatever." Daniel waved a hand in the air.

"I deserve every last minute of vacation time. You should try it sometime. Might loosen you up."

"What makes you think I don't?"

Rodney glanced to the side and rolled his eyes. "If I can tell you haven't had a vacation you know it's bad."

Daniel rolled his eyes right back. "It has been a while, but I probably take more than you."

"Maybe."

Daniel huffed. "Every time I try to take one, Jack tries to convince me fishing in a lake with no fish is a great idea."

"And Shepard's taking me to Hawaii." He pointed to his chest. "I burn easily. You do what you need to do."

"Team leaders." Daniel rolled his eyes, but winked at Rodney. "Can't live with them, can't shoot them."

"Maybe. I'd probably miss, but I've gotten better."

Daniel gave a startled bark of laughter. "Serves them right for insisting we waste time away from research learning to shoot guns."

"I…I like to know I can protect myself," Rodney said, taking a few beats to respond.

Daniel patted him on the arm. "I feel the same way. It helps, out there, knowing you're part of the team and can watch their backs as well as they watch ours."

"I hate that I've had to become a soldier, but I know it's necessary. I don't feel so much like the weakest link. I know I still am, but it's not as bad as before."

Shooting him a wry look, Daniel pushed his glasses up his nose from where they had slipped. "Believe me I can sympathize. When I started going through the gate, I was with two career military people, and Teal'c. If I wasn't getting captured, I was getting us shot at or wandering off and pissing Jack off. Remind me some time to tell you about my first ever experience going through the Gate, when we first discovered it. The soldiers with us then were pretty unhappy with me."

Rodney snorted. "I've heard about it. You do know I've been working on the Stargate program more or less from the beginning, right? Foremost expert here," he said pointing to himself.

"Ahh, you've heard about it, yes. But has it ever been from one of us who was there?" The other man gave him a sly look. "You've been doing this a while now—you know the official reports never tell the whole story."

"Do you actually think anyone's taken the time to tell me about it?" Rodney asked, pausing outside some lab. "When's the last time someone's offered to spend time with me who's outside my team? Before Atlantis—everyone hated me. I wasn't in anyone's gossip circle."

Daniel patted his arm. "Before you go back—and after your vacation—we'll get together again. I'll tell you the whole story. Jack and I were almost like different people then, it was so long ago. But you'd probably be interested in hearing it. And I'd love to tell you." He paused, looking thoughtful. "And for the record, I never hated you. Our paths didn't cross very often, but I've always thought you were kind of funny. Arrogant, yes. But funny."

Rodney snorted. "And now you're trying to make me feel better. You don't have to. I know where I stood before and I know where I stand now. I don't need your pity."

"It's not pity. And I'm a horrible liar, so you'd know if I was." Daniel chuckled. "Sam didn't like you much, I'll give you that. But it's only because you called her a blond bimbo. And I admit a lot of people were put off by you. But don't sell yourself short."

Rodney just huffed, shaking his head as he started to move back down the hall. Daniel was just trying to make up for last night. That's all this was.

"Hey" Daniel grabbed his arm. The archaeologist had a very earnest expression on his face. "I know you have to get back to the briefings, but really, don't sell yourself short. If I miss you before you leave, have a great trip."

Rodney nodded awkwardly, a stammered "thank you" following Daniel down the hall. He shook his head after a moment and turned, heading back to Carter's office. There was still a lot to be done.

She was there already, shoulders hunched and head down as she read something on her computer screen.

Looking up, she shot him a harried smile. "Hi. Is lunch over already? Sit down. I have a few more questions for you."

"Do you actually think I'd leave lunch early voluntarily?" he asked snidely as he settled into the chair he'd occupied all morning. There was a bottle of water on the counter next to his pad.

She waved a hand. "All right, I've been going over the coding you did for..."

Rodney held back a sigh, but listened, answering every question she asked and then some. He had to go back and explain several points she didn't grasp the first time through. If he had to do it a third time he swore he would have injured himself.

Three o'clock rolled around and Carter finally released him and he ran. Heading to the surface, he ended up sitting on a bench not far from where they'd parked, deciding this was a good place to wait for John. He needed to get out of the Mountain, out from under their fingers.

There was someone else's fingers he'd much rather be under.

About forty-five minutes later his lover wandered out, looking tired. His head was down, so Rodney didn't think he had spotted him.

Waiting until he was closer, he finally called out for him as he stood, walking toward John and the car.

John started, glancing up. A warm smile stretched his lips. "Oh, hey. I was going to call you when I was in the car, and see where you were and how much longer you were going to be."

"Carter cut me loose a little while ago and I couldn't stay inside any longer. You okay?"

"Good. And yeah, I'll be fine. Just a really long day." John moved closer. Even his hair looked a little flat. "I'm really happy we're skipping town tomorrow."

"Agreed," Rodney said with his own tired smile. "Do you need me to drive? You look beat."

After a moment of hesitation, John tossed over they keys. "Thanks. We still running through the take-out place on the way home?"

"How about we get them to deliver?" Rodney asked as he slid into the driver's seat, adjusting the chair since Mister Long Legs needed to sit in the back seat when he drove.

"Sounds like a plan." John shoved the passenger chair almost all the way back, closing his eyes.

Rodney let the silence stretch between them as he headed down the Mountain back into town. He flicked on a classical station and more or less put himself on auto-pilot. They reached the apartment without incident, the traffic lighter this time of day.

After pulling in the parking lot and finding a spot two over from where they'd been in the morning, he turned the car off, listening to the clicking of the engine as it began to cool. Taking a breath, he put his hand on John's arm, shaking him gently. "We're here."

Blinking his eyes open, John's smile was the warm, open one he usually wore for Rodney before he was completely awake. "Hey."

"We're here. If we're quick we can order before the dinner rush."

"'Kay." John shook himself, sitting up. "Sorry I fell asleep."

Rodney shrugged, climbing from the car. "It's fine. I did, too."

Chuckling, his lover got out, following Rodney toward the apartment. "Since we got here in one piece, I won't worry about it."

"Nothing to worry about. I've driven back and forth so many times I could do it with my eyes closed."

Once inside, John dropped onto the couch. "I'll eat whatever. Get some lo mein, and other than that, whatever you want is fine."

"Do you think if we pay them extra they'll make two other stops, too?"

"Dunno. What stops do you want them to make?"

"Hamburgers sound really good, too. But Cheetos and some pudding cups—you know, the good ones—and maybe some Cracker Jacks…"

John's head came back so he could look at Rodney upside down. "The snacks would be good to take with us, but why don't we wait on the hamburgers? We can't eat that much food, and then we can get one in Hawaii."

"Hmm…there's probably other things, too. Oh…like the onion ring things and Pringles and the Honey-Mustard Pretzels…"

"We can run into the grocery store on the way to the airport if you want."

"Hmm? Oh, no. I wanted it for tonight."

"We can't eat that much. We'd both be sick."

Rodney paused, looking down at John. "Oh. You think so? I used to do it all the time."

"Your body is in a lot better shape now, and not used to taking in that much junk. Trust me, if you eat that much, you'll be sick. I don't mind getting it for the trip, and if you want to see if they'll stop and bring it for us that's fine, but we're not having it tonight."

"But I love that stuff and it's not junk. They're healthy snacks."

"Pringles aren't healthy." John shook his head. "Neither are Cheetos. And I'm not saying you can't have it—just not all at once."

Rodney sighed, turning toward the kitchen. "Fine. I'll order dinner."

Inside, John was suddenly there, pressing against his back. "Hey. I'm not trying to pick a fight or anything here. I really just don't want you to be feeling sick tomorrow."

"Hey!" Rodney said, trying to move away but John held him tightly.

Arms came around his waist, holding him close, and John's breath was hot against his neck. "I don't want you to be upset."

"I’m not, really," Rodney said after a moment. "I'm just tired and…I don't know. Junk food was always a comfort before."

"Let me be your junk food then. After dinner, we'll play."

"We have to get up early."

"I know. I'm thinking I want to try your kits, to clean you out, so we can play on the trip without worry."

"We can't do anything for a while after an enema. It has to all just work itself out and then I need to wait several hours before we can have sex or anything."

"I know. But if we do it tonight, we won't have to worry about it tomorrow. And 'we can't do anything' is a bit of a misnomer. I can't fuck you, but there are other things we can do."

"Maybe."

John nuzzled a bit, pressing soft kisses into the side of Rodney's neck. "Trust me."

Rodney sighed. "I do trust you. It's just the last thing I feel is sexy after cleaning out my bowels."

He could feel John's smile. "Well, yeah. But you've never done it with a partner, like this, have you? I'm the first to admit this is all new to me, but it's very...intimate. So even if it's not sexy, it is a chance to be close."

"I've done it since we've been together, but usually when I know you're busy and I have the time."

"Huh. You didn't tell me that." John's thumbs had slipped under Rodney's waistband and were drawing small circles. "We don't have to do it now, but I know you wanted to be filled for the entire vacation. The only way I'm comfortable with that is if we take precautions to make sure you won't get any infections."

"Or you," Rodney said, pausing for a moment. "And I didn't think you needed to know about it. It's just something that should be done…you know, for good hygiene and all."

John kissed him again, another of the devastatingly gentle presses of lips to skin. "I'm not upset about it. Why don't you order us dinner? I'll go get us packed while we wait for it, so that will be one less thing to worry about later."

"Sure. You just want lo mein? Pork? Beef? Shrimp? All of the above?"

"Surprise me. And I plan to sample your stuff, too, so get enough of everything for both of us."

"Wait, I thought it was my stuff."

"I want to try it. You won't share with me?"

"I thought you only wanted lo mein."

"Well, that's all I want to order. But you're getting other stuff I want to try. I don't need a whole plate of it."

Rodney pressed back into John. "So you're just going to steal my food, eh?"

He got another nuzzle, and one of John's legs worked in between his. "Taste your food. I just want a few bites."

"I know how you are with bites. One leads to another, and another."

"I feed you most of it."

"I wasn't referring to those bites," Rodney said, rolling his eyes as John tugged him closer.

His lover gave a soft puff of laughter. "What can I say, I know what I like."

"I thought I was ordering food," Rodney said as John mouthed against the side of his neck.

"Mmmm. You're too damn tempting."

"John…" Rodney whined, squirming as his lover hit a sensitive spot.

Instead of backing off, John tightened his grip, and started to use his teeth, marking Rodney high enough that everyone would be able to see it.

He moaned, shuddering as the pain turned quickly to pleasure.

When he was done with the mark, John whispered in Rodney's ear, his breath sending shivers of sensation all through Rodney's body. "That's my favorite kind of bites."

"Mine…mine, too," he replied, panting a little.

"Go order dinner so we can get back to the good stuff."

"I…um…I can do that," he stuttered, his body already heading in the direction of the "good stuff".

"Good boy." John nipped again, then slowly drew back.

Rodney stood still for nearly a minute composing himself as John moved into the bedroom, preparing to pack for their trip. Finally turning back to the kitchen and the junk drawer that held all the menus, he dug out the appropriate one and ordered several pints of food: John's lo mein with beef, sesame chicken, egg rolls, soup, steamed dumplings—instead of fried, he was trying to be slightly good—shrimp with cashew nuts, and a ten ingredient fried rice. That should be enough. The restaurant told him it would take about thirty minutes—thank god for ordering at a weird time. Normally it was an hour plus.

John wandered back in. He had lost his shirt at some point, although he was still wearing his BDUs. "Okay, most of what we'll use, the resort will have. In terms of your favorites, though, you'll be wearing the jeweled collar and ring set on the plane, and I packed your heavier steel collar with the matching cuffs—those are what you'll wear once we get there. You'll be wearing the cage on the plane since it's plastic and won't set off the detectors, along with the plastic plug. I'm packing the Ancient ring, and your steel plug as well. Anything else you absolutely love and don't want to live without for a week?"

Rodney ran through the list again in his mind before replying. "They'll have the heavier leather stuff there? Posture collars, harnesses, cuffs, and the like?"

John nodded. "Yes. The room will be fully stocked with pretty much everything we could ever imagine to use. The only stuff we need to bring are favorite pieces you really love to have used on you, or that have meaning, like the collar set you'll be traveling in."

"The gags and such will be thoroughly cleaned I'm guessing. I've never been to a place like this."

John smiled, coming up to wrap his arms around Rodney. "Everything there will be sterilized. When the staff comes in to clean the room and make the bed, they'll re-sterilize everything we've used, and there will be stuff for me to clean it as well, if we want to re-use something immediately."

"Then I think you've gotten it all covered."

"Good. We're all set for tomorrow morning then. I have all the travel documents with the bags, so we just have to grab and go."

"Let me guess…I have one outfit. The one I'm wearing on the plane."

His lover grinned. "Close. I did pack you a few things you look especially hot in. Your leather outfit you wore to the club in Vegas, and a second pair of jeans along with a few of the tops that look phenomenal on you. I also tossed in your swimsuit, just in case I decide to have you wear it. Though to be honest, you will be wearing nothing but bondage gear for the bulk of the trip once we arrive. The clothes are really only for if we decide to leave the grounds and go exploring."

"Somehow I doubt I’m going to be leaving the hotel room."

"Oh you're leaving the room. You just won't be dressed for most of it."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "I guess we'll see, eh?"

John hummed. "I want to show you off. Make everyone jealous."

Leaning back a little, Rodney looked John in the eyes. "You do know that you don't have to prove anything, right? Even if we did nothing except hold each other the entire time and watch movies, I think I'd be happy."

John's smile was sweet, and almost painfully happy. "I know. I'm not trying to prove anything. I really am looking forward to this. And part of it is the thrill of knowing I can publicly claim you like I wish I could all the time."

"I’m yours whether the world knows about it or not. Nothing's going to change that."

"Mmm, you're just so beautiful, and I'm so damn lucky to have you. I want everyone to know it."

Rodney felt his cheeks flush. "I’m sure you'll find a way then."

John leaned in again, kissing Rodney deeply. "This is going to be a vacation neither of us will ever forget."

"I just need to forget for a little while," Rodney said quietly a few moments later, forehead resting against John's and they stood in the kitchen just holding each other. He was tired, mentally exhausted, and the past few days had simply drained whatever reserves he had left.

"I'll help you. All you have to think about from now until the end of our vacation is how good I'm making you feel."

"Once we get there after the hellish plane ride."

"Even that won't be too bad. We're in first class, so hopefully it will be quiet."

"It's still a hellishly long plane ride."

"Ahh, but you'll be at least partially in headspace. I hope. So it won't seem as bad."

"Hellishly long," he repeated with a sigh, closing his eyes.

Lips brushed against each of his eyelids. "It will be worth it."

"I know. I'm just…" He sighed again. "I'm tired of dealing with morons, of running for my life on a daily basis…I know it's a phase, but still…"

"Well, the only moron you'll be dealing with from here on out is me, and there will be no running for our lives, although I do plan to go jogging on the beach. I won't force you to come, but you'll be welcome to join me."

Rodney snorted. "I've been running with you now for a few weeks. I didn't think I had the choice of staying in bed while you ran."

John shrugged. "It's a vacation. I'd strongly like it if you keep it up with me while we're gone, but I don't want to fight about it either."

"Can I decide later?"

"Of course."

"Good because right now…right now no more decisions is a good thing."

John's hands swept up and down Rodney's sides. "Why don't you go get undressed? I can get the door when dinner gets here."

"There's cash in my wallet for the food," he said, reaching back to grab it from his pocket.

John took it from him, then patted Rodney's ass. "Go get comfortable. I set the cuffs out on the bed—bring them out when you come back."

"Before or after dinner is delivered?"

"Before. The delivery guy won't come in, so as long as you're in the kitchen, it won't matter. Find your cushion to kneel on, too."

"Okay," Rodney said quietly, John's quiet orders helping to ease some of his tension already. John was handling it, would handle it.

He headed into the bedroom, the suitcase mostly full on the floor next to the bed. He stripped easily, dumping his clothes into the hamper and putting his shoes away. The leather cuffs were on the dresser and Rodney picked up one of them, fingering it for a long moment.

It still amazed him sometimes that they did this, had this kind of relationship, that he enjoyed it as much as he did. It was freeing and powerful at the same time. And honestly, he couldn't imagine loving John more than he did. This just added something so much more….tangible, so more than flowers or chocolate or gifts ever could—he wasn't a girl in that sense.

Picking up the four cuffs and their padlocks, he moved back into the kitchen, grabbing his pillow just before he left the bedroom. John was puttering around, making a small pile of food for the trip. Nuts, snacks, dried fruit.

He glanced up, smiling. "Mmm, beautiful. Would you be uncomfortable wearing a harness under your clothes tomorrow on the plane?"

"I…" Rodney started only to break off. "I don't know. Wouldn't we have issues with security? The last thing I want to do is have some pimply teenager frisking me because the medal detector rang."

"Well, the harness is mostly just leather. I wouldn't be able to use padlocks, but we both know you wouldn't try to take it off unless I told you too, so it would be as good as a lock. And after we take off, it would let me play with you discreetly."

"How exactly? It's under my clothes."

"That's what blankets are for. No one would see if I pushed your shirt up a bit."

"But it's just a leather band."

John grinned. "I'm creative."

"But it's just a few leather bands across my chest." He didn't quite understand.

"It's a harness." John was very patient. "That means I can tie things to it. Like using a zip tie to keep your hands at your sides, for example."

"Wait. You'd tie me on the plane?"

"Mmm hmm."

"But on the plane?"

"Why not? We're in first class, so no one will bother us. And as you said, it's a long ride. I can't keep my hands off you that long."

"I just…worry, that's all."

John pulled him into his arms. "That's why I asked if it would make you uncomfortable. I want you relaxed and pliant, not tense and worried."

"I would probably be okay with the harness, but I don't know how I'd feel about actual bondage on the plane itself. Are you going to have me in cuffs, too? And I know you mentioned something about chains…"

John's expression turned a little dreamy. "You'll have your jeweled set on, the full set minus the cock ring, for the trip. The harness if you'll let me put it on you, and the cage and a plug."

"Which harness?"

"Depending on your level of comfort, either the one that just goes across your chest, or the one that has the attached cock ring, which would fit on under the cage."

"You mean the one with the strap that goes all the way around?" Rodney asked, his eyes widening. Besides the four chest straps, there was a two inch leather strap that extended down his chest. The ring allowed room for his cock and then the strap connected in the back to the other ones. That would…that would feel amazing, held tightly like that…

John smiled. "And then the cage over that, and the plug. There would be no doubts about who your body belonged to as we travel. And it will help remind you that for this trip, your only job is to relax and let me take care of you."

"Do you actually think I wouldn't have a problem with security?"

"Not really. There's not much metal in any of that, so there really isn't anything to set off the detectors. You've been going in and out of the mountain—which has a higher sensitivity—with the cage and plug with no issues, and all we're really adding is more leather under your clothes."

"Can I think about it?" he asked finally, handing John the cuffs he'd asked for.

Taking the cuffs, John nodded. "You'll need to tell me before we go to bed tonight so I'll know what to prep for, but you don't have to decide now." He locked the wrist cuffs in place, then knelt to lock the ankle cuffs on.

Rodney nodded. "Okay," he said, just as the doorbell rang.

Rising, John pressed a fast kiss to Rodney's lips. "Go kneel on your pillow. I'll be right there."

As John headed to the door, grabbing Rodney's wallet on the way, he moved to his place, settling in easily. After shifting a few times, he put his hands behind his back, clasped together, and waited, listening as John talked to the delivery person.

His lover wandered in a few minutes later with two heavy-looking bags, both wafting some really delicious smells his way. John set them both on the table, but before Rodney could do or say anything, he leaned down and clipped both the wrist and ankle cuffs together, and then pulled Rodney's hands back slightly so his hands were connected to his feet.

The position pulled his shoulders back a little and forced him to shift his stance, spreading his knees a little wider apart so there would be a little less strain on his arms. Tugging a few times, Rodney felt a flutter in his stomach that he got when we realized he was secured and couldn't get out. It was thrill and anticipation rolled together.

He might have moaned a little, his heart rate picking up a drop.

Long fingers sank into his hair, petting him for a few minutes. John also stepped close enough that Rodney could lean into him as he caressed.

He tugged at his bonds a few more times before turning his head in toward John's leg, pressing close as he breathed in, steadying himself.

"Very good," John purred. He pulled away slowly, sitting in his usual seat. He helped Rodney scoot forward, close enough to touch.

Rodney angled his head up, looking at John, drinking him in. Every now and then he'd offer a small tug or pull at his bindings, but they were secure, solid. Until John released him he wasn't going anywhere.

John had turned his attention to the bags of food, and was pulling everything out, organizing it. He found the egg rolls, and took a bite of one before holding it up for Rodney to do the same.

Widening his eyes, Rodney asked the silent question—Can I?—even before leaning forward. There was something about the feel of things right now he didn't want to presume.

John didn't break the silence, just smiled and made sure the food was easy for Rodney to bite into before he pulled it away and set it down.

Chewing, Rodney hummed in appreciation. It tasted so good.

For the next hour, John fed them both, letting Rodney sample a little bit of everything, making sure he got more of the things that made him hum again and again.

About halfway through, Rodney had let his eyes close, enjoying the taste and the intimacy of dinner like this. He felt himself beginning to relax.

Between bites, John's hands skimmed his shoulders, ran through his hair. The touches were all soft, more caresses than anything else.

He found himself leaning into them more and more, craving the touch, the sensation.

Finally, when he was feeling pleasantly full, the touches were no longer alternated with bites of food. Instead, John just let his hands skim over Rodney's body.

A quietly whispered, "please" and "John" finally dropped out of his mouth.

His lover rose, tilting Rodney's face up. "Open your eyes for me."

Rodney did so immediately, meeting his dom's gaze.

"When I unlock your feet, go into the bedroom and kneel on the floor. I'll be in as soon as I put the food away."

He nodded. "Where?"

"In the middle of the room is fine. I won't be long."

"Yes, John."

"Good boy."

John's hands were sure and firm as he unlocked the piece holding Rodney's hands and feet together, running his hands over his ass cheeks before he finally loosened his ankles as well. With one of John's hands under his elbow, Rodney rose to his feet and padded into the bedroom, kneeling on the floor at the foot of the bed. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, waiting.

Breathing in and out, he tried to blank his mind a little, tried to let the feel of the warm leather encircling his limbs relax him.

True to his word, John wasn't far behind. He made an approving noise, then went into the bathroom, emerging with an armful of towels and the enema kit. He helped Rodney up, and grabbed a pillow, so Rodney ended up on his knees on the towel, head and shoulders on the pillow on the floor, his knees spread wide, ass in the air.

"John?"

"Hmmm?" A warm hand down his back, along the curve of his ass.

"You don't have to do this. I can."

Instead of answering, his lover carefully put a blindfold over Rodney's eyes.

"John?"

"Just relax and let me have your body. Right now, this is what I want to do with it."

Taking a breath and pushing down some of his wariness and worry, he nodded. No one had ever done this to him, for him before.

John's hands continued to roam. "If I hurt you at all, tell me. Otherwise, no talking."

A whimper caught in the back of his throat.

The plug was slowly pulled out of Rodney's body, and a warm washcloth was there to wipe away the come that dribbled out.

When had John gotten that, he wondered, even as his hole twitched, opening and closing, the feeling of loss so distinct and strong.

Once everything on the outside was cleaned away, Rodney felt the nozzle of the kit being inserted. All the while, John continued to touch, making it almost sensual.

He wanted to relax, wanted just to feel, but his brain wasn't shutting off. It kept going through "what ifs" and worrying if John would do it right. It wasn't that he didn't trust him, but Rodney had always done this himself.

"Just relax," John murmured, even as the first rush of liquid started to fill Rodney. "How hard do you like it?"

"I…I don't know. I just did it."

"Okay. I'm gong to increase the pressure a little then. Let me know if it gets uncomfortable."

"You need to empty the whole bag," Rodney said.

"I know. I read the instructions before I started." John's voice was warm. "Once it's all inside you, you'll stay like this for about fifteen minutes, then you can go and flush it out."

"Closer to thirty or when I start to really feel it."

"Okay. You can tell me when you're ready then." A hand skimmed over Rodney's spine. "Do you have any idea how sexy you are?"

"This isn't sexy," he mumbled. "This is…" Humiliating wasn't the word. It wasn't, really. It was necessary for good hygiene. Rodney felt the warm water solution filling him, knew John was close to the end of the bag. There was a certain fullness and pressure that Rodney knew.

"This is sexy." John pulled the nozzle free slowly. "Knowing you're doing this so we can play and that you've done it before, for me... God, you have no idea how perfect you are."

"But it isn't sexy," he argued, louder this time. "It's just necessary. Like a prostate exam or a trip to the dentist."

"It's as sexy as we want to make it. People actually do play this way, you know. It's not something I want to add to our regular line-up, but there's something so intimate about it. Doing this to you, for you. I like being able to take care of you this way, too."

Rodney sighed quietly. "I know. This is just…weird. Even stranger than you fucking me in public if that makes any sense."

Chuckling, John's fingers moved to run through Rodney's hair. "We won't have to do it often, but I would like to do this for you, instead of you doing it yourself, if you're okay with that."

"But why?"

"I like taking care of you."

"I know, but why this?"

"This is part of it. When I say I like taking care of you, it's not just about sex or bondage games. It's about all of it, physical and mental."

Rodney took a breath, wiggling his fingers a little. "I know that I signed on the dotted line and you could just do this because I agreed to let you…I agreed to be your submissive. I just…I guess I just don't understand why you would want to. It's not sexy. It's not particularly kinky. It's just something that needs to be done."

"I don't know if I can explain it. I get the same pleasure from this that I get washing you, or feeding you. Knowing that you're trusting me to care for you. It's... I don't know why. But I like it. A lot."

"Oh."

"It makes me feel closer to you, in a way, I guess."

It took about a minute for John's explanation to percolate through his head. "Oh. Okay."

John fell silent then, although his hands never stilled.

A few minutes later he felt the first stirrings from down below and knew it was about time for the fun to begin. Sitting on the bowl for the next while was not going to be enjoyable. "John?"

"Yeah?"

"Moving to the bathroom might be a good idea."

He felt John rise, and a moment later Rodney was helped to his feet. John didn't take off the blindfold or unclip his hands, instead guiding him until he was sitting on the toilet.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to relax. "There's not much more you can do here," he said.

"Do you want me to leave you alone? I would just be in the bedroom in case you needed anything. Or I can stay and sit with you."

Rodney shrugged. "I don't know. It might be quick or it might not. I don't know."

Lips brushed against his. "Time doesn't matter. Tell me what you're more comfortable with."

"Just," Rodney said, turning his head away. "Not that. Not right now."

"Okay." John caressed his cheek. "I'll wait out in the bedroom, then. Yell when you need me."

Nodding, Rodney heard John leave and he bowed his head, not sure what to do with himself. Normally he'd read but now he couldn't. For all he knew he was sitting in the dark. Time had no real meaning, either.

His mind was twirling and spinning in tighter and tighter circles. But even as his mind wound tight, his body slowly relaxed, the enema doing its job.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a soft noise alerted him to John's return. "How are you doing?"

Rodney shook his head, shrugging his shoulders.

A soft hand ran down his shoulder and arm.

He shivered, leaning into John.

"Cold?"

Rodney shook his head.

"Need anything?"

"Think…think I’m done for now," Rodney finally whispered, craving his lover's touch.

"I want to take you to bed."

"I might have to come back."

"It's okay. If you do, we will." John helped him up, and took care of cleaning him up before leading him to the bed.

As soon as they were in bed, Rodney curled into John.

Strong arms came up around him, holding him close. "I love you."

"Love you," Rodney whispered. "Thank you."

John kissed his forehead, hugging him tighter. "Sleep if you can. If you need to get up, just tell me."

"I’m sorry. I said I wasn't going to be up for anything."

He got another brush of lips. "It's okay. We have ten days."

"I just…thank you," he finally said.

"Mmm. Dream of all the ways I'm going to ravish you."

Rodney settled down with a sigh, his mind finally slowing. He made two more trips to the bathroom that night, John helping, guiding, and caring for him each step of the way.

It was a pretty quiet night, broken only when the alarm went off, waking them both up.

Rodney simply nuzzled in closer, breathing in his lover. He was warm and comfortable. Safe.

John mumbled, and shifted around the bed. A moment later, the alarm stopped. "Need to get up so we have time to get ready and make the plane."

"Comfy."

"Ahh, but think how comfy you'll be later." He could hear John's smile, as his lover rolled out from under him.

"'m hungry."

"Breakfast is on the agenda." Rodney found himself being urged up into a seated position.

He followed John's lead easily, feeling the blankets drop into his lap.

His lover, true to his word, dressed Rodney in all the gear that had been promised yesterday, filling him and claiming him.

His hands remained secured behind his back, John working around them, fastening everything into place. He ended up standing beside the bed as John tightened the last strap on the harness, his finger running under the leather, making sure it wasn't too tight or too loose.

"Comfortable?"

"Seems okay," he said, nodding, his voice quiet.

"Good. I'm going to free your arms then, so I can do the cuffs you'll be wearing."

"Okay."

John worked quickly, and once the cuffs were in place, he dressed Rodney in a comfortable pair of jeans and a top loose enough that the lines of the straps wouldn't show.

"You're leaving the ankle ones?"

"Yes. Your socks will hide them."

He tentatively reached out, his hand drifting over John's arm.

His lover stepped closer, capturing Rodney's mouth. "So beautiful like this..."

Rodney melted into John, his arms wrapping around his lover's waist as he opened his mouth. John took the opening given, diving in.

It was like John wanted everything soft today. Even breakfast was sensual, eaten standing in the kitchen, pressed closely together, blindfold still covering Rodney's eyes. Even brushing their teeth turned into something intimate, so loving and gentle.

He was led to the living room and with a soft brush of lips and fingers, urged to sit and wait. When he opened his mouth to ask John what he was doing, a finger pressed against his lips, shushing him even before he was able to say a word.

Rodney nodded, listening as John moved around the apartment, getting the last few things together they needed. He waited patiently—well, semi-patiently. He could help John, but he didn't want to interrupt what his lover had in mind.

He heard John approaching a bit later and then there were hands on both of his knees and he could feel John settling before him.

"John?" he asked, the word whispered.

"Almost time to go." Hands traveled up Rodney's legs to settle against his waist.

"I could have helped you."

"Wasn't much to do."

"Still. You grabbed my laptop?"

"No. You won't need it. I am bringing mine, so if there's an emergency we'll have it, but I don't want you thinking about work."

"But, John—" he began, the words whining, but John cut him off before he got further.

"No. Your only job for the next ten days is to do whatever I tell you to. You aren't Doctor Rodney McKay, smartest man in two galaxies. You are Rodney, my submissive."

He took a breath, John's words striking him deeply inside. "I…" This was it. This is what he'd been waiting weeks for, want he wanted, what he needed. He nodded, letting out a long breath. He was ready. He wanted this so much he could taste it. "Yes, John…sir."

"Good boy." John's voice was a purr, and the words were accompanied by a thumb tracing the line of Rodney's jaw.

Rodney hummed, tilting his head a little, loving the feel of John's touch.

"All right, we're going to head to the airport now. That means I have to take the blindfold off. Since I can't use that, or the gag, I want you to try not to talk. If someone talks to you, you can respond and if you have something you really need to tell me, you can. But otherwise, I just want you to sit back and enjoy the ride."

"No talking?"

"As much as you can. It will start as soon as we step through the door of the apartment."

"Can we get more coffee?"

"At the airport, once we get through security. No sense buying something only to have to chug it or throw it away."

"It's like a two hour ride to Denver."

"Do you have a headache, or do you just want it?"

Rodney knew where this was going, but he still answered truthfully. "No, I don't have a headache."

"Then you can wait." John's thumb was still moving against his jaw. "I don't want you over-caffeinated for this trip."

He sighed. "Yes, sir."

"Believe me, you'll be so drugged on me, you won't miss it after a while." He felt John shift, and then the blindfold was tugged off slowly.

Rodney blinked slowly, his eyes focusing on his lover's face. The living room was dimly lit and from the look of things, it wasn't even morning yet. "What time is it?"

"Pretty early. We have a morning flight." Standing, John held out a hand.

Rodney snorted. "I'm on to you. That's why you kept the blindfold on and told me I can't talk once we leave the apartment," he said, letting John tug him to his feet. The blindfold ended up in John's pocket. "You didn't want to hear me complaining."

That got him a quick grin. "Strategic planning."

"That's just wrong."

Laughing, John tangled their fingers together and they started for the door.

John gave him the carryon, while he grabbed the single suitcase for two, for ten days. Yeah, he had no clothes in that. They packed the car quickly and settled in.

There wasn't much traffic on the road, and they made good time, John's hand resting on his thigh the whole time. Even the line in security wasn't long, and they quickly made it to the gate—John getting him the promised cup of coffee before they found seats.

Sipping at the sadly small and over-priced coffee, Rodney watched the people around them. John had placed them near the door, their back to the wall. They'd be one of the first ones to board.

When they did get on the plane, they found their seats—first class was actually very comfortable, and the seats were pretty private.

John ushered Rodney in, gesturing to the seat by the window. They were two rows from the nose of the plane on the right side.

"Comfortable?" John rested a hand on Rodney's thigh again, the tips of his fingers almost in the crease between his legs.

Rodney nodded. The harness was caressing him. With the straps, it was as if John was holding him.

After takeoff, once the seatbelt sign went off, John flipped a blanket over Rodney's lap. He quickly unbuttoned Rodney's pants, and slipped his fingers in to caress skin.

Turning his head to the side, he watched John's face as he touched him, loved the play of emotion his lover slowed to show through.

"Bring your hands against your sides, under the blanket." John's voice was a husky whisper.

A nod was his only reply as he moved his hands into the place John requested.

John pushed Rodney's shirt up just high enough to expose the harness. The cuffs he was wearing weren't meant for heavy play, but John was able to lock them to the rings in the leather against his sides at waist level.

The blanket was tugged into place, grazing over his shoulders and extending down to cover his toes. John leaned down and untied his shoes, tugging them off and setting them in the overhead compartment. His ankles were secured together a moment later and the chair reclined most of the way.

Rodney simply watched John move, watched the play of muscle under his clothes, gaze focused on the lines of his body.

"There. All set. Just relax and enjoy the ride." John settled back in next to him, snaking a hand back under the blanket to rest against Rodney's skin.

Shifting slightly, Rodney let the feel of the restraints soothe him. "John?" he whispered a moment later, realizing what was missing.

"Yeah?"

"Blindfold?"

John smiled. "Sure, if you're okay with having it on here."

"I…" Rodney said, licking his lips. "Yes, please."

John pulled the little strip of fabric out of his pocket, and tied it in place, plunging Rodney back into darkness.

He hummed, settling in deeper, John's hand against his skin. He heard the flight attendants talking quietly to the other passengers, to John, but otherwise ignored everything except the feel of the cuffs, the harness, the cage, the plug, John's hand…until at some point later, John whispered in his ear.

"Lunch is here. I'm going to sit you up so I can feed you."

"Can I?"

"Can you what?"

"Can I feed myself?"

"Why do you want to?" John didn't sound angry, just curious.

"It just…feels a little awkward to be so intimate here."

The blindfold was pulled off, and the first thing Rodney saw was John's smile. "I know. It's okay. I'm going to free one hand—the other stays where it is."

"Okay. Thank you," Rodney whispered as John adjusted the seat so he could eat. He released Rodney's right hand, helping with anything that required a second hand—like opening his water, or buttering his bread. Rodney was okay with that.

"We're actually not too much further out. Probably another hour before I'll need to completely unhook you to prepare for landing."

"I slept?"

"I don't know if you were sleeping or just really relaxed and zoned out." John grinned. "I'll take either."

"I thought this flight was going to be much more monotonous and painful."

"And I told you it would be fine." John chuckled softly.

"I know, but trapped on a plane…and we still have one more flight."

"Just a short hop. And then we'll be in Hawaii."

"Almost there," Rodney whispered, giving John a smile as he finished off his lunch.

"Oh yeah." John's expression could only be called a leer.

Rodney settled back into the seat, watching as the flight attendant removed his tray. John rearranged him, but didn't reattach his hand, instead threading his fingers through it. They stayed like that until they got the call that they would be landing in forty minutes. John used the time to unhook and re-dress Rodney, preparing them for their flight transfer.

It went smoothly, and the second flight was relatively short. In what felt like almost no time at all, they were stepping off the plane in Hawaii. They were really here. On vacation.

As soon as they entered the baggage claim area, there was a tall, young man standing with a sign that said "Sheppard" waiting patiently for them.

They exchanged a quick look, and John walked over. "Hi, I'm John Sheppard."

"Malcom, sir. I'll be escorting you to your accommodations."

"Great. We have one bag checked, so once we retrieve that, we'll be all set."

"If you'd like to describe it and you have your claim number, I can retrieve it for you while you wait in the car."

"Awesome." John grinned. He handed over the claim information, and described the black suitcase they had brought. "Which car is ours?"

"Juilian is standing just outside the door dressed in a black suit and holding a sign with your name. He'll show you the way."

"I think I love this resort." John grabbed Rodney's hand, tugging him along.

Rodney was just a little shell-shocked. No one was this nice or accommodating. "Is this for real?"

"Well, it is a full service hotel. They want to make our stay as perfect as possible. Anything we need, they'll provide it."

Rodney just shook his head as they stepped outside. Sure enough, Juilian was waiting and he directed them to the awaiting car. A limo. A huge truck-limo. Really obnoxious and really, really huge.

"Sir," Juilian said, voice cultivated and even. "Please make yourself comfortable. By the time we retrieve your luggage and arrive at the resort you will have approximately forty-five minutes. There are food and beverages inside."

"Perfect." They got inside, and...oh my...this limo wasn't your standard, everyday variety.

Toys and cuffs and straps and…just about anything you might need. Reinforced hooks in the ceiling and the floorboards and walls…it was a moving dungeon with dark tinted windows. "Oh…" Rodney said, eyes wide.

"Oh yeah..." John's smile was predatory. "When we arrive at the hotel, we'll be completely inside the compound. So you can strip now."

"Here? At the airport?"

John was already working on the laces of Rodney's shoes. "No one can see us."

"But we're at the airport!"

Glancing around, John suddenly smiled again. And grabbed a gag. Before Rodney had time to react, it was buckled on him, cutting off further protests. "From this point on, you are mine. You do not get to have a say in anything we do. You will be punished for any disobedience, which includes hesitating when I give you a direct order."

Rodney's eyes were wide, panting around the gag John had locked on.

"Take off your clothes."

John all dom was…yeah. It took him a few seconds before he started tugging off his clothes, but it was enough for John to notice.

As soon as he was naked, John pulled him over his lap, and gave his ass three hard, sharp smacks. "That was for hesitating. Now..." He found a set of heavy leather cuffs, switching them out for the ones on Rodney's wrists. His collar was also replaced with a plain, heavy leather version. "I'll put your steel collar on once we get to the room. For now, this will do."

Rodney squirmed in John's lap as his lover fastened his wrists together behind his back. John smacked him again, getting him to still as he reached for something else. Two heavy cuffs wrapped around his upper arms and Rodney heard the locks snap closed before John secured them to the harness he was already wearing, tugging his shoulders back a little.

"Mmm, there we go. Very nice." John purred as he stroked Rodney's body, tracing the lines of leather.

He moaned, wiggling a little. John, though, ignored him, reaching for something else. A few seconds later, he was plunged into darkness as a thick leather blindfold was put in place. He felt John fussing with something behind his head, vaguely realizing that he was somehow connecting the blindfold, gag, and collar, locking them all together. He moaned again, already beginning to feel himself falling a little.

"Good boy. Just relax. You can't stop me, and you'll enjoy this much more if you just let go and accept that you belong to me. Your body is no longer your own, and you don't get any input into what I decide to do with it."

Whimpering he nodded, but agreeing was easier said than done.

John seemed to know what he was thinking. He rearranged them so Rodney was sitting on the seat again, curled against John with strong arms around him. "I'm not going to push you faster than I think you can handle. Right now, I'm just going to hold you."

Rodney snuggled in close, as much as he could as he was bound, loving the feel and smell of his lover. A little while later he heard the trunk open and close and then they were moving.

John's hands started roaming all over his body, touching and caressing.

"When we arrive, I'm going to put the leash on you, and you're going to follow me. Nothing you're wearing currently will come off, and you will not be putting any additional clothes on."

He whined, but a sharp slap stopped him immediately.

"No complaints. I already warned you that you wouldn't be wearing clothes for most of this trip. And I never intended to lock us up in our room."

Rodney nodded, breathing heavily against John's neck, John's hands continuing to touch and stroke and arouse.

"You're so beautiful like this. I love seeing you submit, seeing you just let go for me."

Rodney shifted against him, wanting to feel more.

He got a low, husky chuckle. "You haven't come in days. I bet your poor cock is starting to feel neglected. I miss the taste of you. I want to spend a lot of time relearning your texture and flavor before I let you find release."

He moaned, feeling his brain starting to slow, loving the sound of John's voice, the feel of his hands, his body.

He lost track of time, but suddenly John's hands, which had never stopped petting, were urging him to sit up. Rodney felt the snick of a leash being attached to his collar. "We're here."

Nodding, he followed John's lead, feeling the warmth of the outside air flowing over him as they walked to the registration desk. He felt…exposed, but knowing John was there helped.

John was holding the leash up close to Rodney's neck, forcing him to stay close. Having the blindfold actually helped—he had no idea if there was anyone looking at him or not. "Hello. John Sheppard. I need to check in."

"Yes, Mister Sheppard. Malcom called from the airport. Your cottage is ready. Would you like your bags brought to you? It is a distance to walk with your submissive and luggage."

"If you wouldn't mind sending it along, that would be great. Also, I had several packages waiting for me? Can you have those sent to our room?"

"Already there, sir," the woman said. "Julian will bring your luggage around now."

"Excellent. For dinner tonight, what are my options? I'd like to explore the grounds a bit if I can, as well."

"There are several restaurants on the grounds. All the details are available in a pamphlet in your cottage. The notes in your reservation indicated that you enjoyed cooking, so if you'd prefer to do so at any time, just let us know and we'll provide the ingredients if they are not already in the cottage." There was a shuffle of paper and then she continued. "We're here. Your cottage is here, one of our remotest and most luxurious. There are two bedrooms in addition to the public areas—living room and kitchen and dining room. They'd been outfitted according to your specifications. If there is anything you need, please let us know. Everything is included."

John hummed. "This place is amazing. One more question for you. I'm assuming the rule here is that if I bring my sub in public, people can look, but no touching without permission, correct? I don't want there to be any problems. Also, are there any restrictions about what I can do in public, or where I do it?"

"You are correct. This resort encourages consensual experiences. If you encounter any problems with any guests, please report it immediately. And, as long as what you practice is consensual, there are no issues. The grounds are secure and only guests and staff are permitted."

"Thanks. I appreciate the help."

"Here is your key, sir. There are keys in the cottage for the items there. We also have extra sets here in case they are lost or misplaced. One thing to note: if you decide to join another couple, please use only your locks. They are coded for each cottage or room."

"I don't intend to join another couple right now, but I'll keep that in mind if I decide otherwise."

"Understood, sir, but we have to inform you. Would you like Malcom to show you the way? He will be your main contact while you are here. His cell phone is speed dial one from any phone in your cottage. He's available 24/7."

"I think I can find it, but if we have any trouble, I'll give him a call. Thanks again." John tugged on the leash.

Rodney followed John's lead, moving from the air conditioned reception area outside into the warm Hawaiian air.

"It's beautiful here. Later, I'll take you around again without the blindfold, so you can see it."

Nodding, Rodney's only real option for responding to his lover, he sped up when John tugged a little harder on the leash, the ground under his feet sun-warmed and smooth. The air smelled exotic, sweet and spicy at the same time.

They walked for a while, silence comfortable between them.

John was humming softly. "We're here."

Rodney felt John move beside him, guiding him up a set of three stairs. He heard the sound of the key in the door and then they were stepping inside, cool air flowing over his body, making him shiver.

The floor inside the entranceway was cool—wood probably. They moved through the cottage, pausing in each room as John explored. Wood became carpet or throw rugs in places until he heard John's very contented hum.

"Oh this is nice. Very nice."

Rodney was tugged forward and he felt the edge of the bed against this thigh. It was higher than their bed. He'd have to climb up in order to get up on it, but for bending over it was perfect.

"I'm taking the blindfold off now. I want you to be able to look around before I do anything else."

John's hands were tugging with the buckles and locks at the back of his head. A few moments later and the blindfold was tugged free. After he blinked a few times, his eyes widened. The master suite was huge—as was the bed.

John had stripped off his shirt, and was poking around the room, holding up various things for Rodney to see. "The FedEx boxes are in the living room. I'll go get them and bring them in so we can see what they are."

Rodney nodded, letting his eyes roam around. John had attached the end of the leash to the thick bedpost, giving him a little room to move, but not much.

There were straps everywhere—the bed was liked the supped-up version of their bed at home. There was a suspension system in the middle of the room as well, along with all kinds of whips and toys and dildos and who knew what else all over the place.

Looking a little more closely at the bed and Rodney saw another suspension system built right into the bed. There were also hooks for other hanging and suspension equipment. John could secure him on his knees, his upper body held by a suspension system and if it was done correctly, he wouldn't be able to shift or move and holding the position for a long time wouldn't put any strain on him. John could take him several times like that…

His lover returned a moment later with two rather large boxes. He brought them to the bed, opening the first one. And pulling out a huge assortment of what looked like lengths of hemp, in a variety of colors. "Oh. Oh this is nice. I can do all kinds of things with this..." John stroked the rope, running it through his hands.

Rodney nodded, knowing the rope would leave marks on his body even after it was removed, but at the same time it would feel so nice against his skin. And yeah, there was a lot of rope. John could probably wrap him up from head to toe with all of it in several colors.

"We're gong to have fun with this. Shall we see what's in the other one?" John winked at him.

Another nod and then John was opening the second box, pulling out several thick leather cuffs and a collar, very high-end and professionally created. There was a pair of leather pants in John's size. And at the bottom was a tripod and a DVD camcorder.

John pulled a sheet of paper out of the very bottom of the box, eyebrows both almost to his hairline as he read it.

Rodney hummed, trying to get his lover's attention.

Looking up, John licked his lips, then started to read out loud.

_John & Rodney-_

_Wanted to make sure you had a few things to play with before we arrive in three days. Enjoy your vacation. We won't bother you too much but we do expect a few dinners and lunches with you. Enjoy yourselves!_

_Peter & Harry_

Grinning, John picked up the camera. "It will be great to see them, and thank them for all this. This place is amazing."

Rodney had to agree. If the rest of the cottage was like the bedroom, they were never leaving.

"For today, I want to play a bit, and then we're going to take a walk, and explore the hotel. Get some food at some point."

Yes. Food would be good. He wasn't hungry yet, but he was sure he would be.

"I'm going to unhook you, so I can reposition you." John quickly unlocked the clasps holding his arms behind his back.

The tension eased in his shoulder blades and shoulders and he let his arms drop to his sides, waiting for John to give him direction.

Using the suspension system on the bed, John arranged him so his arms were held high, and he was sitting up on his knees. The straps were tight enough that he couldn't sink down at all. And then his legs were pushed apart as wide as they could go, and locked into place as well.

He added some other straps to the cuffs on Rodney's upper arms, making sure he couldn't shift and giving Rodney a little extra support. Once that was done, John moved behind him, unbuckling the bottom of the harness he'd worn all day, leaving just the chest part of the harness on him.

Next, John came around and unlatched the cage, pulling it free. Immediately, the Ancient cock ring was slipped on, and started buzzing hard.

Rodney moaned, tugging at the restraints holding him in place, shifting a little more than John obviously wanted, getting a smack on his ass cheek.

With a soft moan, John suddenly swallowed him down, sucking hard and teasing Rodney's shaft with teeth and tongue.

Oh god. Rodney's eyes slid closed. He hadn't come in nearly a week and he needed it so badly. He moaned loudly, arching into John's mouth.

John just kept sucking and licking, driving him higher and higher.

He was whimpering and begging, moaning desperately around the gag.

And then John pulled off, sitting back and just looking at Rodney. "So fucking beautiful..."

Please, oh god, please…

John moved around the bed, and then the plug was being pulled out of Rodney's body, replaced with what felt like three fingers, pressing in deep.

He begged, pleaded, and sobbed, but John kept up the same damn pace.

Once his lover found his prostate, he began to press against it over and over, withdrawing his fingers only fractions of inches before pressing them in again, against the little gland, sending sparks of pleasure all through Rodney's body.

Rodney sobbed, needing and wanting more, needing to come.

Finally, the fingers pulled free. But Rodney wasn't left empty for long. John pressed inside, sheathing himself completely in Rodney's body. And then he stilled, one hand moving to curl around Rodney's blood-red and throbbing erection. "So beautiful…"

He whimpered and moaned loudly.

John started to stroke, his hips making tiny thrusts into Rodney's body at the same time.

He rocked back and forth as much as the restraints would allow, meeting John's thrusts. He was trapped between John's cock and his hand, rocking between both and loving the sensation inside and out.

"So tight, so good. Your ass was made for me, made to be filled, claimed, just like this. All the time."

He nodded, moaning and whimpering. John's other hand shifted from his hip up to his chest and began tugging and rolling his nipples, sending even more sensation through his body.

John's thrusts got faster, harder. "I'm gonna come, gonna fill you again, then plug you. And you'll walk around this whole compound knowing I'm still inside you."

If he didn't have the gag on, he'd be begging and pleading with John to finish him, to let him come. He was hurting for it, desperate.

He felt the warm rush of heat inside that meant John was coming. His lover and top went heavy, leaning against Rodney's back and panting hard.

Please, he whined into the gag, John's hands finally stilling, just holding onto him.

Lips pressed into his neck, and then John pulled out slowly. He must have grabbed a plug at some point, because a new one, bigger than the one he had worn on the plane, was pressed inside, filling him.

He groaned as his ass clenched around the plug, greedily sucking it into his body. Please, oh god, please…

Moving back around, John stretched out on the bed where Rodney could see him, lazily reaching up to stroke Rodney's erection a few more times.

No…nonononono. Rodney panted hard around the gag, his eyes open wide and pleading with his lover.

"You want to come, don't you?"

He nodded eagerly.

"Hmmm. The question is, should I let you come now, or make you wait until later?"

Now! Please, god, now. He pleaded with his eyes, his chest rising and falling as he hovered on the edge of desperation.

John swirled a finger over the tip of Rodney's dick, spreading the pre-come. "I want you to come so hard you pass out, and I don't really think you're at that stage yet."

Rodney whined. Loudly. He was there! Right there!

John just chuckled. "No, not nearly there. You're not even really in headspace yet."

Sobbing and whimpering, Rodney tried to shift closer to John, trying to get him to let him come now.

But the straps held him in place, even as the ring stopped buzzing and getting a little bit tighter at the same time.

No! Please, no!

"You've waited for a week. You can wait a little longer."

Rodney shook his head. No. He couldn't. No. Now.

Sitting up on his knees, John cupped Rodney's face with one hand, the other trailing down his side, missing all the erogenous zones. "Deep breaths."

Instead, Rodney rocked against John, sending shudders of arousal through his body.

His lover reached up, and suddenly the straps got tighter, holding him almost completely immobile. "Breathe for me, Rodney."

Whining, Rodney shook his head, climax the only thing on his mind.

John cupped his face harder, forcing him to look his top in the eye. "You aren't coming right now. And if you fight me, you won't come at all today. Right now I plan to let you, but not if you keep disobeying."

Rodney tried to beg, to plead, to change John's mind, but all he could do was whimper and moan.

"Shhh. I know. You want to come, want to feel that release, but you aren't ready for it yet. Trust me. I'll take care of you, and it will be better than you can imagine."

He whimpered again, wanting it so badly. John held his eyes for a long moment before obviously making up his mind, shifting off the bed. He walked around, tightening the straps so Rodney was spread wider, pulled tight and unable to move, to shift.

"You're going to stay there, like that, until I think you've fallen far enough into headspace. And that means you won't care whether or not you're allowed to come, because all you'll care about is pleasing me."

Rodney shook his head and closed his eyes, sobbing quietly. No, please, no…

John was back beside him, hands skimming down Rodney's back, along his arms. "Just let go. Stop trying to second-guess me, or get your way. You don't get to have things your way. Not while we're here. The faster you can accept that, the easier, and more pleasurable, this will be for you."

John stayed with him for a few minutes before shifting again, the blindfold going back on.

His top pet him, caressed him, loved him. Helping him pull back from the edge and start to slide into headspace.

It was a battle, but John got him there, pushing him down with each and every touch, every caresses.

"Very good. Such a good boy." John's praise was warm, as much of a caress as what he was doing with his hands.

Rodney slid down, submitting, John offering him no other option.

They stayed like that for a while. Rodney was still hard, but somehow it stopped being the most important thing. "Getting hungry?"

He nodded.

"I'm going to unhook your hands and move them back to behind your back. Then I'm going to untie you from the bed and take off the blindfold. You'll stay gagged until we get to the restaurant and I'm ready to feed you."

Rodney nodded again, his body more or less supported by the bonds holding him up.

John followed through, and a few minutes later Rodney was standing by the bed, John's eyes roaming over him. "You're going to stay hard while we walk over, and while I feed you. I want to show off how absolutely gorgeous you are like this, and I want everyone to be jealous of what my dessert is going to be."

He shivered, already feeling the eyes of others on him, John's voice already painting the picture. He tugged at the bonds holding his hands behind his back, both sets of cuffs secured, leaving him little room to move.

The leash was snapped back on, and wound tight around John's fist, forcing Rodney to stand close. His lover was just in his jeans, with no shirt, and didn't seem inclined to put one on. He tugged slightly, and started walking out.

Rodney kept his eyes on John, watching his body move, trying to anticipate where he might go, but only ending up tripping over his own feet instead.

Glancing back, John stopped, cupping Rodney's chin. "Need a little more lead to be able to walk comfortably?"

Leaning into the touch, he shook his head. Oddly enough it was easier following John when he couldn't see where he was going.

"Okay. We'll go slow. Feel free to look around. It really is beautiful here—I want you to be able to enjoy that, too."

With another caress along his jaw, John turned again, gently leading the way, his pace slower than before. Rodney's eyes darted around, spotting other couples scattered about in various states of undress and bondage. His eyes quickly returned to John, his cheeks feeling red. He couldn't just look at them. That was…weird.

They wandered down a few very lush pathways, and a few times Rodney caught glimpses of the ocean. Just before they got to a building he assumed was the restaurant, John tugged him onto an overlook, where they could see the private beach stretched out below them, the ocean an almost impossible blue beyond that. John made a soft, happy noise. "Oh, I am so going surfing tomorrow..."

Rodney leaned into John, who wrapped his arms around him. He sighed quietly as he shifted closer.

John pressed his lips into Rodney's temple, tugging him closer. "Look down there—see the cabanas? You can sort of see how they have straps for bondage. While I surf, I'll tie you so you can watch me."

He nodded again, spotting the things John pointed out, the tension in his body easing slightly. This he could do. The cuddling, the touching. He knew it was going to take more than a few hours or one session to get him down to where John wanted him, but he wanted to. He wanted to feel that, live in that space. It was just…hard to let go in a new environment like this.

They stood watching the waves for a few more minutes. Finally, John kissed him again. "Come on. I'm starving, so I know you are, too."

A light tug on the leash got Rodney moving again, heading down a path Rodney hoped John knew where it led. Thankfully, a few minutes later they emerged from the greenery and discovered a small building made of dark wood and open to the outside. Fans turned lazily in the ceiling overhead and tables of various heights and configuration were scattered throughout.

John nodded to a greeter who moved to meet them. "Good evening. I need a table for my sub and I. Preferably something that will allow him to kneel comfortably and be bound."

"We have several options available, sir," he said. "If you would like to have your sub on display, I can recommend one of the taller tables with the accompanying platform. It has several points for attachment and we have straps here if you require them. If you would prefer something more intimate, we have a normal table for you while your sub is on the floor in front of you, under the table. Again, there are various attachment points as well."

John looked Rodney up and down. "We'll take one of the higher tables. He's too pretty not to show off."

"Very well," he said, without even glancing at Rodney. He gestured for John to follow him. "Please come this way. We have several specials tonight including a Mahi tuna with a citrus rub which is absolutely delightful. I'd recommend it highly."

"Actually, my sub has a severe citrus allergy. Would you mind letting the kitchen know that? I carry an epi-pen with me, but I'd rather not have our vacation spoiled by having to spend it in the emergency room." John flashed a smile. "Can you recommend anything non-citrus? Or are there any substitutions we could use on the fish?"

"Oh," he said pausing, his gaze finally drifting to Rodney for a brief second. "Most of our dishes contain some kind of citrus—either in the glaze or marinate. I will need to check with the cook and see about getting something done specially for you. Will the grill need to be cleaned off before we cook your meal?"

John tapped his lips. "If it's not too much trouble, that would be great. I'm sorry to be a pain, but it really is a severe allergy. He stops breathing, and if he doesn't get help immediately, it would be fatal. I'd much rather take his breath away in other ways."

"Understood, sir. Here we are. Is this table to your liking?" The table was tall—more like stool height and the accompanying platform was two feet in the air. It was padded, but there were obvious areas to attach a sub's legs securely.

"Oh, yes." John practically purred, and tugged Rodney forward. "Kneel, and find a comfortable position. You'll be in it for a while."

"I will return in a moment," the waiter said as John helped Rodney climb up onto the platform. Rodney shifted a few times, settling into place. John adjusted his legs a few times, making his stance a little wider and checking to make sure it didn't hurt. Once he got a confirmation from Rodney, he used two straps on each leg, securing him to the platform. Once Rodney settled down, John added one more per leg, making sure Rodney couldn't rise up. A strap was added to his wrists and attached to the back of the platform, holding him in place from behind, while a last strap stretched from the ring on his collar to the front of the platform.

Yeah, he wasn't moving anywhere.

Settling in his own spot, John grinned and nudged Rodney's balls with the toe of his sneaker, the cock ring turning on to buzz softly at the same time.

Rodney moaned, his body shuddering. He tugged at the bonds, trying to shift away, but he couldn't, barely able to move in any direction.

"Mmm, perfect. And you're still hard for me, that's very good. That might even be worth ordering something decadent and chocolaty for after dinner."

He whimpered quietly and nodded. He never felt more open and exposed than right now, out in the open, in public. But John…he trusted John.

John's fingers curled around his face again, stroking lightly. "Thank you for doing this. I know it's not easy, but god... you're like every fantasy I've ever had right now. This is amazing, and I love you so much."

Rodney turned his head into the palm of John's hand, closing his eyes. He wanted to do this, wanted to get over his stupid paranoid fears about "Big Brother".

John continued to caress him. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you."

'I know' he wanted to say, but all he could do was nod, letting John's touch ground him.

John's other hand buried itself in Rodney's hair, petting him. He didn't even know the server had returned until he heard John speaking again. "What did they say?"

"The head chef said he would prepare you a dish personally. Do you prefer beef, chicken, or fish?"

He could hear John's smile. "That's awesome, thank you. Fish, I think, for tonight. We are in Hawaii after all. And he only needs to make one plate."

"Of course. Can I bring you something to drink while you wait for your main course? Can I interest you in an appetizer?"

"Hmm, to drink, can you bring me something fruity and alcoholic, as well as a glass of water? And what would you recommend as an appetizer? Anything really outstanding?"

"Of course. Is pineapple okay as a fruit juice?"

John glanced at Rodney. "Is pineapple a citrus? Or can you have that? I never actually thought about it before. Nod if it won't kill you."

Rodney nodded. If pineapple was citrus he would have died several times over after eating sweet and sour chicken.

"Perfect. Yes, pineapple is okay, both for the drinks and the food. Thanks."

"I'll bring it right out."

When he was gone again, John went back to petting, looking around as other couples wandered in. One, a petite strawberry blond woman with a dark-haired man at the end of her leash, drifted over to their table. John nodded at her. "Evening."

"Evening. Did you just arrive?" she asked, her voice curious, but not overly.

"Today. I'm John, and this is Rodney."

"I'm Pam and this is Derek, my husband. Is this your first time here?"

"Yeah. We've gone to a club once, but this is our first actual vacation where we can play like this. It's very... freeing." John looked down to smile softly at Rodney.

Rodney leaned into John's touch as he felt Pam's eyes on him.

"It can be. He looks a bit tense though. It was how I could tell that you were new."

John chuckled. "He will drop hard and stay down later. We have stressful jobs, and this is the first day of vacation, so it will take him some time to unwind."

"That's why we come here for two weeks every six months," she said conversationally, her sub standing quietly and silently behind her, naked and unbound, linked to her by a single chain around his cock.

John smiled a bit wistfully. "I wish we could get away that often."

"It's our only vacation throughout the year, really. And I have to say that we need every second of it. Helps us to connect again."

John ran his hand through Rodney's hair, thumb rubbing against the gag. "It definitely is nice to be able to share this in public, instead of having to hide."

Rodney leaned into John's touch, taking the comfort he was offering. Pam and Derek simply took his gesture in stride. "He doesn't like public displays of affection?"

"He's still learning. We haven't done this much in public, and it's my kink more than his." John smiled softly at Rodney. "I have a very good, very brave sub who's willing to follow my lead, even if it makes him a little uncomfortable at first."

"That's great. Derek took to it like a duck to water the first time we tried it, now he asks for it more than I want it."

Chuckling, John glanced at the other man briefly before returning his gaze to Pam. "I plan to surf tomorrow—since you've been here before, no one will bother him if I tie him to a beach chair for a while, right?"

"I've never had a problem," she said shaking her head. "We've been coming here for three years."

"Perfect." John was still stroking. "Are there any group things, parties or anything?"

"Some, but they tend to be more casual between several couples. We don't know anyone well enough to offer."

John nodded. "I wouldn't mind a group thing, but I'm not into sharing. More playing in the same room so we can all admire how pretty they look when they fall into headspace."

"As far as I know, the ones I heard about involved swapping and switching partners. I'm like you in that I don't want anyone else touching Derek."

"Yeah, it's a little different when you have a permanent partner, than just a casual playdate. Rodney is mine; no one else touches him. But that doesn't mean I don't like showing him off. I'm the first to admit, I'm intensely proud of him."

Pam smiled. "I can tell. And if you don't have a thing for that ass of his…"

"And he loves having it played with." From his vantage point, Rodney could see John was getting hard again, a slight bulge building in his jeans. "I could spend hours on it, and in it, and doing things to it..."

"Good," she said with a smile. "But I should tell you that you're going to need to do something soon. Have you seen the way some people are looking at it? He's far too pale and unmarked for a sub in the tropics."

John glanced around, and then grinned. "Well, we have dinner coming, and we need to eat. I'll play with him after that. He hasn't been allowed to come in a week, so when he does it will be explosive."

"A week? Derek's only been able to last a day or two at most before he's sobbing. We're trying to work on his stamina, aren't we?" she asked, tugging her lover forward. He nodded, his eyes focused on her.

John grinned. "He actually enjoys orgasm denial, and there are times he begs me to make him wait just a little longer. We built up to it though, with a good cock ring and day-long sessions. He's ready now though, aren't you, buddy?" John nudged Rodney's leaking erection with his shoe again, making it bob.

Rodney moaned and nodded, shifting against the bonds holding him in place.

Leaning down, John swiped his tongue along the line of the gag. "Soon. You're being so good, I'm going to make you fly later."

Another moan followed by a whimper was Rodney's only reply. He closed his eyes, leaning into the small point of contact—John's hand—he had.

He could hear the smile in Pam's voice when she spoke. "He certainly sounds ready."

"I let him out of the cage for the first time in a week before we came down here, worked him up, and then forced him to back off again. So yeah, he's very ready. But just a little longer. I want him to ache for it. He just couldn't get hard the past week, I want him to be leaking and ready for me for a little while before I let him come." John returned to petting him, thumb making small circles.

Rodney concentrated on the sensation of John's thumb, feeling it drift over skin between the leather of the gag and collar, above the gag and across his cheek.

"How long have you had Derek?" John's voice was soft, but not directed at Rodney.

"Like this? Only a few years. We've been married for close to ten. We were getting bored of each other, constantly fighting. I was actually talking about a divorce. But then we saw a marriage counselor and we agreed for the first time in a long time—we could never go back to her." She shrugged. "We decided to try something different, try to spice up our marriage and see if we could work things out."

"Huh. And that worked, obviously. How did you decide who was the top, and who was the bottom?"

"We had been doing it the other way before…when we were fighting. We decided to change everything—once we decided it was a good idea to have sex again in the first place. Things just…happened."

"Wow. We've played a little with switching, but he's not comfortable topping at all, and my natural inclination is to top, even though I do enjoy being on the bottom every now and then. I can't even imagine making a permanent switch. That must have been rough."

"It…wasn't," she said thoughtfully. "Everything just felt right."

"I wonder if that's what caused your problems in the first place then, both of you trying to fill a role you weren't suited for? Let me know if I'm being too personal, but I have to admit, this really fascinates me. I plan to spend the rest of my life with Rodney, so I'm always interested in hearing how other people have made it a lifestyle."

"We're still learning," she said, her voice still open. "And I enjoy talking to others as well. It's hard to find a listening ear."

"Would you like to join us for dinner? The table has more than enough room, and that way you can secure your submissive while we ch\\\destyt." Rodney could hear John's smile.

"Derek already ate, so he will simply be attending me," she said and Rodney heard the scrape of the chair. "Stand," she said a moment later. "No talking. Focus on me."

"I notice you don't use much gear. Is that just something you're not in to, or were you more in the mood to have obedience by choice instead of force today?"

"Mood, actually. Derek doesn't enjoy the bondage as much as I do. He prefers to release his submission easily. This is actually a reward for him. He spent the last twenty-four hours in bondage."

"That works. I prefer the reward route myself, over punishment. Not that I don't have to sometimes, but we both much prefer when I can promise something good for obedience, rather than take something away." The toe of John's shoe started to stroke Rodney lightly.

"But the punishment is fun," Pam said eagerly. Rodney, though, was focused on the feel of John's shoe on his cock, rubbing up and down his hard length. He was so desperate and needy.

John laughed softly. "Depends on whether it's punishment for play, or a real punishment for misbehavior. I enjoy pushing his limits, but I don't enjoy being forced to be the bad guy when he's being stubborn. I do it because he needs to know there are consequences and I'll always keep my promises, good or bad. But I prefer this way, making him moan and shake with pleasure because he's being so good."

"Derek enjoys being naughty and keeping him in line is a full time job," she said, but broke off when he waiter arrived. She ordered a drink and dinner as John's drink and appetizer were placed on the table.

Sipping on the drink, John smiled and glanced down at Rodney. "I'm taking the gag off now so I can feed you. You don't speak unless I ask you a direct question and tell you to answer."

Rodney nodded in understanding. He wanted to come so he wasn't about ready to object to John's terms—not that he was in any position to, really.

As soon as the gag was off, John captured his mouth in a deep kiss, tongue plunging inside, claiming his mouth.

Moaning, Rodney opened himself up for John, tilting his head slightly to allow John's tongue to go deeper. His mouth was sore where the gag cut in and from holding his mouth open, but it felt good.

John pulled back slowly, nipping at Rodney's lips. "So beautiful..." he whispered.

"More…" he whispered, the word falling from his mouth.

"Ah ah. no talking." John bit him softly, then pulled back. A moment later, the straw to the drink he had ordered was at Rodney's lips. "Since I don't want to get drunk, we'll share."

He took a small sip, the fruity flavor sliding down easily, the 151 rum burning a little. It was strong and on an empty stomach might not be the best idea.

John followed it up with a bite of food, pressed against Rodney's lips.

Whatever the appetizer was—Rodney had no idea—it tasted amazing. Sweet and tart and savory. He chewed, humming a little, letting his eyes slide closed.

John continued to feed him, and Rodney drifted, listening to his top chatting with the other dom for a bit. "...prefer this way. He has a tendency to inhale his food when left to his own devices, so this way I know he slows down and enjoys it. Not to mention, I love the intimacy of feeding him. If I have a choice, we eat this way now."

"And he loves it," she said, admiringly. "I can't believe the difference it makes in his body, how he stopped holding himself so tense."

John pushed another piece of food into Rodney's mouth, dragging it over his lips first. "This is one of the ways I help him drop into headspace. We've had a long week before we were able to get here, and then travel. I knew he would only get frustrated if I tried to force him down hard and fast. I prefer this way: helping him relax, letting him fall into it at his own pace. And once he's down, he'll stay down."

"He'll be like this all week?"

"This is nothing. He's just relaxing, not really in his headspace yet. When he's down, he'll be completely relaxed, and won't care what I do to him or with him."

They had somehow moved into dinner, Rodney realized absently, the taste in his mouth different than before. He tried shifting closer to John, but the bonds held him firmly in place.

His top must have sensed his movements, a hand drifting down over his shoulder even as John continued to feed him.

John's touch sent shivers down his back, pulling a quiet moan from his lips even as he nipped at John's fingers as they slid another piece of fish into his mouth.

"I would love to see him in headspace," Pam said, the clinking of cutlery and china a background symphony to her words.

"By tomorrow he will be. I'll continue to drop him all night and into the morning." Instead of another piece of food, John's thumb pressed into Rodney's mouth.

He sucked it in eagerly, tonguing the tip, savoring the taste of his lover.

"He's…that mouth…does he give good head? Oh…am I being too nosey? It's just that he's so…"

John's chuckle was low and sent little sparks of pleasure down Rodney's spine, even as his thumb swiped over Rodney's tongue. "He gives fantastic head. He can have me coming in under a minute if I let him."

"That's impressive. Sometimes I wish someone else was that talented with their mouth."

"Anyone can be. It's all a matter of practice and training. If you want, at some point this week, I'll have Rodney work me over while you and Derek watch. You can get at least an idea of what he's doing, and adapt it to yourselves."

"I'd like that…if you don't mind and we're not intruding. Derek could use the pointers."

John's chuckle was low again. "I did mention I have a public sex kink, right? I have to admit I get a thrill from being watched while I play with my lover, and I like watching other people enjoy themselves."

"You may have," she said with her own chuckle. "I think we might get along well."

"So what other toys do you use, if any? We're big fans of plugs—the worst punishment I have is to take his away for any length of time."

"I love paddles and whips. They make such pretty patterns. I love his ass red and smarting."

John's thumb swiped over Rodney's lips again, pushing deep for a moment before almost withdrawing. "We haven't played much with that, although we've been experimenting more with it lately. I was eyeing some of the stuff in the room when we got here. What kinds are your favorites?"

Rodney tried to chase it, but the restraints caught him, holding him in place. He moaned quietly, opening his eyes to look up at John.

"All of them, really. When you really need it to hurt, there's nothing better than the cane. The wide paddle gets a lot of skin, but the smaller one give you access to the inside of their thighs and their balls. When they're all red and warm and swollen…hmmm, it's so good."

John was looking at Rodney, and his eyes were dark, aroused. He let the tip of his thumb rest against Rodney's lips. "We're going to try that. I'm going to make your ass glow, and fuck you hard while it's hot."

There was no way he was going to be able to reach John's thumb, get it back into his mouth like this. He had to wait, wait on John to decide what he wanted to do, wait for John…for John. Between one breath and the next Rodney felt some of the world slip away.

"Oh, good boy." John purred, seeing it. His thumb slipped back inside, and Rodney knew he was being rewarded.

"Did he just…" Pam started, breaking off as Rodney began sucking John's thumb again, his eyes open and fixed on John.

John's gaze didn't leave his, pinning him in place. "Mmmm hmmm. So fucking perfect... And so completely mine."

He wanted John so badly, wanted to feel him inside him, filling him even more than the plug was.

John was hard, straining against his jeans. "I think I need to take him home and fuck him now."

Rodney whined, pleading. Pam's voice was breathy. "Likewise. Come, Derek, your work's not done."

John chuckled, finally breaking the eye contact. "I'll see you tomorrow I'm sure. Enjoy your evening—and let's plan a little mutual demonstration for later this week."

"We're in cottage Five. Call when you want to set something up."

"I will." John rose, his hand slipping out of Rodney's mouth. The gag went back on almost immediately, preventing Rodney from complaining, arguing, or having any say in what his top was doing.

He moaned and closed his eyes as John's hands fastened it on tightly before moving to the various straps. He had to pause mid-way through as the waiter asked if he wanted the leftovers sent to the room.

"That would be great, thank you." John got the last strap, and made sure Rodney's hands were still fastened behind his back. "Stand up, Rodney."

Rodney shifted back, John's hands helping him to his feet. He was a little unsteady from kneeling for so long, but John steadied him before snapping on the leash.

A hand curled around his erection, stroking him lightly. "Stay hard for me. I'm going to let you come soon."

Moaning, Rodney shifting forward slightly, leaning into John's hand as a shudder ran through his body. Soon. John would let him come soon. He held onto the words, the promise.

"You're so beautiful like this..." John mouthed his way along the gag and down Rodney's neck, nipping lightly at the skin.

Rodney closed his eyes and let the feelings wash over his body. He wanted to come so badly, but knew John would only let him come when he was ready. But right now…right now he felt so good, so alive. Every nerve ending was tingling, his entire body aroused. He wanted John so badly, wanted to come, to feel the rush of pleasure and completion.

John worked his way back up, nibbling on Rodney's ear a little. "Being so good. Going to make you fly so high..."

Nodding his head slightly, Rodney leaned into John, loving his warmth, the feel of his skin, his body.

John's hands skimmed his body, leaving trails of pleasure. Finally, though, his lover stood straight. "Let's go back to our room where I can ravish you properly."

Rodney hummed appreciatively, following as John tugged him forward with the leash. He left his eyes closed, trusting John to lead him.

In addition to the hand on his leash, John put a hand on Rodney's elbow, guiding him. They moved slowly, a soft, sweetly-scented breeze sweeping over them once they got outside.

The smells, the feel of John's touch and the breeze against his skin, made him shiver slightly, feeling his mind slowing. All that mattered was John. Only John.

Rodney didn't realize they were back at the bungalow until the breeze stopped, replaced with the faint tang of leather.

He opened his eyes, looking around, realizing they had come in through a secondary door, directly into the master bedroom.

John continued to lead him, moving directly to the suspension bar in the corner. Rodney's hands were unclipped from behind his back, and pushed above his head, where they were secured. John then went down on one knee, pushing Rodney's legs wide apart before he locked them to hooks bolted in the floor.

Rodney shifted, tugging at the restraints. He moaned and shuddered, anticipation growing in his stomach. If he was good, John would let him come. And god…he needed to come. So badly.

His lover moved around him, adjusting the bindings, tightening them down before finally stepping away with a small nod to himself.

"Perfect." He lowered his head to lick one of Rodney's nipples, teasing it with the tip of his tongue.

Ohgodohgodohgod!

A high-pitched moan accompanied a desperate tugging on the restraints, wanting less and more at the same time.

Chuckling, John blew on the moist nub, curling a hand around Rodney's erection again at the same time.

Rodney closed his eyes and threw his head back, whimpering. Oh god…

John continued along the same lines for a while, licking and biting a nipple, only to pull off and blow while he stroked Rodney's aching cock. Then he would go back to teasing again, his hand stilling and just holding Rodney loosely until the next round.

It didn't take long for John to reduce Rodney to sobs and whimpers and moans, desperate noises as his lover played with his body.

John was evil. Pure evil—and he loved every minute of it.

Finally, John stopped the teasing. Rodney was only vaguely aware of his lover moving, and didn't know what was coming until the plug was pulled out and John pushed in with one long, steady thrust.

His breath caught in the back of his throat as John settled in deep, a few drops of his earlier semen trickling down Rodney's inner thigh. John wrapped his arms around him, simply holding him as Rodney stretched to accommodate his lover. Rodney tried to wiggle, to shift, to get John to move, but his lover only tightened his arms around him, stilling his movements.

After a few moments, John began to move, slowly thrusting in and out, making Rodney his own again and again and again.

Every time Rodney shifted, rocking back against his lover, John paused, holding them both still for several minutes, their harsh breathing the only sound. It was only once Rodney relaxed that he would start again.

"Just accept. Just open up and let it happen."

He whimpered and nodded, trying to let go. It was easier said than done, however. All the tension from the past months was still there at the back of his mind. As much as he wanted to forget about it, he could feel it there hovering, just waiting to break through once again.

John started to move again, fucking him so slow, so sweet. Rodney focused on the sensations, on what John's cock felt like thrusting in and out of him.

He closed his eyes and wrapped his hands over the bar above his head, hanging on.

The ring began to buzz again, and John's hand came around to hold Rodney, effectively stroking him as they moved. "Are you ready to come? Can you taste it?" John whispered in his ear.

Rodney nodded, moaning low and deep.

"I want to feel you clench all around me, make me come, milk me."

With a whine, Rodney did just so, clenching down on John's cock as it rocked in and out of him, making the sensation even more intense.

His lover moaned, and began to thrust harder. "You can come when I do."

Rodney groaned and nodded, continuing to clench down on John. He wanted this so badly, wanted to come, wanted to feel his lover filling him again.

With a soft cry, John bit down on Rodney's shoulder, sudden heat filling Rodney's body. At the same time, the ring loosened, freeing his aching erection.

With a broken cry, Rodney felt his trapped orgasm finally breaking free. His breath caught in his throat as his body shuddered and he came hard, trembling as pleasure washed over him. He saw bright lights and stars before everything darkened, his consciousness running away from the potency of his pleasure.

***


	2. Chapter 2

After John had manhandled his unconscious lover out of the chains and into the bed—and pushed a new plug inside him—he fell asleep, curled around Rodney’s body. They had both been exhausted, so it wasn’t until the sun was hitting his face that he stirred, finding his lover had snuggled closer during the night, and was still blissfully asleep.

Moving carefully, he managed to slide out of the bed without waking Rodney up, using the straps to secure the other man to the bed, arms at his sides. Then he wandered into the small kitchen, wanting to see what there was to eat. He found a selection of fruits—no citrus, good—and some cheeses in the fridge, already cut up into bite-sized pieces.

Popping what looked like a bit of guava into his mouth, John grabbed the platter and headed back to the bedroom.

Rodney was shifting slightly in the bed, tugging unconsciously at the bonds even though he wasn't fully awake yet. He looked so perfect—from the gag and collar to the dark bite mark on his shoulder from last night.

John set breakfast close at hand, then sat next to his lover, pulling his knees up to his chest, and just enjoying the view.

Rodney was here, laid out before him and all his. It was just…perfect.

Reaching out, John cupped his lover's soft balls, rolling them slightly between his fingers.

It drew a deep, low moan out of his lover, Rodney shifting and tugging at the restraints as he woke, long eyelashes fluttering against pale skin.

"Morning." John's voice sounded husky, even to his own ears.

Rodney turned his head toward John, eyes heavy with pleasure.

Continuing to fondle, John smiled softly. "So, the plan for the day is that I'm going to feed you, then we're going down to the beach. I'll surf while you watch for a bit, and when I'm done we'll come back here to shower."

Rodney nodded his understanding, moaning quietly.

"Good boy." With a flick of his mind, John tightened the cock ring still loose from last night. "You may or may not be allowed to come today. If you're a good boy, you will. If not, you won't."

His lover whimpered and bucked up slightly, eyes widening.

 

John smiled. "You're being very good right now. As long as you relax and let me play with you, and don't disobey anything I tell you to do, you'll get to come."

A small whimper was Rodney's only reply, his body already trembling.

"Because I want to make today easy for you—and trust me, I'll make it harder for you later in the week. When I'm not feeding you, you'll continue to wear the gag. You'll also be tied down for a good portion of the day, so it should be a good chance for you to relax and sink a little further into headspace before we play harder tomorrow."

Rodney's hands clenched and unclenched along his sides as he squirmed on the bed. For Rodney, not talking was a difficult thing and John was taking away his ability to verbally communicate because it was one of the only ways to get Rodney to slow down. His lover didn't look particularly happy about John's plans, but he didn't whine. Besides, it really wasn't up to him.

John let his fingers drift up, to tease at his lover's length. "When I take the gag off so you can eat, you are allowed to talk then. However, you may not complain, say 'But John', or try to second guess me in any way. If you do, you won't be allowed to talk anymore. And if you talk after that, you won't come at all today. Do you understand?"

Rodney nodded even as his hips bucked upward, trying to get more sensation.

Chuckling again, John shifted on the bed, reaching around to unbuckle the gag. As soon as it was free, he did what he had been wanting to do since last night—captured that beautiful mouth in a deep kiss. That was the only problem with gags—John adored kissing Rodney, and they completely prevented that.

Rodney moaned into John's mouth, battling tongues with John as the kiss turned wet and dirty. They broke off only when they needed air, hovering close together as they breathed in each other's air.

John nibbled on Rodney's bottom lip for a moment, loving the intimacy of this. He could make out for hours and be perfectly happy.

His lover arched into him, panting quietly. His eyes were open slightly and John could see the pupils were blown wide in pleasure and arousal.

With a few last playful licks, John drew back slowly. He stretched out on his side, so he could reach the platter and Rodney, choosing a piece of fruit to brush over kiss-swollen lips.

Rodney licked his lips hungrily, eyes focused intensely on John. He shifted a few times, seemingly to test the bonds and probably to figure out exactly how he was restrained.

Chuckling again, John pushed the piece of fruit into Rodney's mouth.

He took the fruit willingly, chewing quietly, his gaze not faltering. When he finally swallowed, he opened his mouth, waiting for John to feed him another piece.

Humming softly, John fed them both a sampling of the platter, enjoying the contrast of the sharp cheeses with the sweet fruits.

His lover was silent the entire time, barely blinking, focused intently on John. It was so amazing to be under such an intense gaze, all of his lover's energy focused on him, his face so open, his trust so complete it was nearly a physical, tangible thing.

When the food was gone, John captured Rodney's mouth for another series of long, lazy kisses, until all he could taste was his lover.

John settled over Rodney, pressing close, loving the intimacy, the slow build. They never had this kind of time to simply make out. The last few times it had been good, but it was more about the sex, the orgasm, than the connection between them. Right now, they needed the time, needed to re-establish their connection.

John let the kissing end naturally, tapering off with little nibbles. He smiled down at his lover, enjoying the soft, aroused look on Rodney's face. "Hi, there."

Rodney smiled up at him, his whispered "Hi" was barely loud enough for John to hear.

"Love you." John's own voice was a whisper. He didn't want to break the mood that had settled over them.

"I really want this," he said, an earnestness in his face that hadn't been there a moment before.

John brought up a hand, caressing Rodney's cheek. "It's yours."

Rodney turned his head into John's touch as his eyes slid closed, his body trembling slightly. "Love you…want this so much…so badly."

"I know. I'll take care of you. I promise."

"Love you so much…need you so badly…"

John captured Rodney's mouth in another kiss, trying to soothe his lover's desperation, trying to show him he would get everything he needed. All he had to do was let go and trust John to catch him.

Rodney whimpered into the kiss, opening up for John. It was so…innocent was the wrong word, but it was so close to what John felt from his lover. Innocent. Open. Pure.

John broke this kiss when they needed to breathe. He reached down to unhook Rodney's arms, and rolled them both to the side, so he could pull his lover more firmly into his arms. He wanted to hold him, protect him, make him feel safe and loved and needed.

Rodney immediately wrapped his arms around John, pressing close. He was needy and desperate and clingy, face pressed into John's neck even as he continued to tremble slightly. If Rodney was going to be like this all day, John might not be able to surf and leave his lover on the beach.

Which was fine. He could always surf tomorrow. Right now getting Rodney to where he needed to be was more important. John slipped a leg between Rodney's pulling the other man even closer.

John could feel the pounding of his lover's heart, feel and hear his panting breaths. He stroked his hands over Rodney's back, from his shoulder all the way down to his ass. It took several minutes before some of the tension left his lover's body, before some of the desperateness wore off. His hands were still grabby, clenched along the muscles of John's back.

John pressed soft kisses into Rodney's shoulder. "Better?"

He nodded silently, each of his fingers slowly releasing their grip on John's back. He'd have bruises there, from where Rodney had held on a little too tightly.

"If you want to roll over onto your stomach, I'll give you a massage, see if we can't work out some of this tension."

Rodney whispered something into John's shoulder, the words sounding something like bathroom.

"You need to go use the restroom?"

A slow, reluctant nod was his response.

John smiled, kissing Rodney's shoulder again. "All right. Come with me then."

Rodney sniffed into John's shoulder once before finally releasing his hold on him, letting John ease him up and off the bed, guiding him into the bathroom. His eyes were fixed on the floor, cheeks tinted pink.

John had to grin. Rodney was so cute when he was embarrassed. He made sure to keep one hand on his lover, guiding him to the toilet and batting away his hands before Rodney could do anything for himself. "You don't get to touch yourself at all, for any reason, while we're here."

That got a surprised look from his lover—head tilted up, eyes wide. He managed to hold his tongue, even though John knew the words "But John…" were running through his mind.

Grinning, John brushed a kiss across his lips. "Your body belongs to me. And I'm feeling possessive. I don't want any other hands touching what's mine."

Rodney audibly swallowed before he nodded, adding a whispered, "Yes, sir," a moment later.

John kissed his shoulder. "Do you need to do more than pee?"

Another nod and another flush of color across his cheeks answered John's question. No wonder he was embarrassed.

John let his hand drift down to his lover's ass, caressing each cheek before he very carefully pulled the plug free. "When you're done, let me know."

Rodney nodded and let John turn him and put him in place. John moved back into the master bedroom giving Rodney a few moments of privacy as he slowly worked through what he wanted to do today. The cottage was…amazing. There was everything you could ever want and if it wasn't here, they'd get it for you—no questions asked.

He wasn't sure what Rodney's mood was going to be, so he finally decided to just play it by ear, at least for the moment.

Right now the cuffs on his lover's body would be enough to secure him to pretty much anything he wanted. On quiet feet he headed back to the master bath, looking in on his lover. Rodney was hunched over slightly, arms around his middle, eyes closed. He didn't look like he was in pain…

"You okay?" John kept his voice soft, quiet.

Rodney glanced up, nodding, his words whispered. "Yeah. Wasn't sure where else to put my hands."

Smiling, John nodded. "Just wanted to make sure you're fine."

"Okay," he said with a small smile. "I need a few more minutes."

John winked, and wandered back out into the room. He moved to the window, opening it to let in the soft breeze. Inhaling, he felt a lot of his own lingering tension release. They were really here.

He could hear the waves breaking against the shore, see the beach just beyond their cottage. The smells were inviting, exotic, and amazing. They were in their own private section of the planet with no worries, nothing to disrupt their time together.

Rodney called him quietly a few moments later and he moved to the bathroom, taking care of his embarrassed sub. He'd get used to it as the week progressed.

It didn't take long until Rodney was cleaned up. John took this opportunity to erase the traces of their activities so far before re-plugging his lover. And then he led Rodney back over to the window. He arranged the other man in front, looking out, with John wrapped around his back. "I wanted you to see how beautiful it is here."

"So different."

"Yeah. It really is. Relaxing though."

"Quiet."

"Serene."

Rodney let out a long breath, relaxing against John, his hands moving to rest on top of John's.

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the view and the breeze and being close. John didn't think he had ever been more content in his life.

There was something so…nice and comforting about just touching like this, being like this. Their relationship was about more than just sex. Sure that played a large part, but this was so perfect.

"I want to take a walk on the beach. Let me get your gag and leash, and pull on a pair of shorts."

"The beach?" Rodney asked, tensing a little in John's arms.

"Yes. Why?"

"I burn easily."

"You really think I would let you burn?"

"I just…I don't want to spend the entire vacation in pain because I'm sunburned and red."

John smiled into his lover's shoulder. "I promise I won't let that happen. I'll put your sunscreen on you before we go out."

"I'm sorry. I just…I've done it before and it's not fun. I'm miserable for weeks."

John tightened his arms around his lover. "Stop worrying. I won't let anything happen to you that you won't like this week. I want you to feel good and relax, and getting you sunburned isn't on that agenda."

"Sorry," Rodney whispered.

John turned Rodney around so he could kiss him softly. "Nothing to be sorry about. I know it's hard, but just relax and trust me to take care of you."

"I do trust you. It's just…sometimes it's just hard to let go. I know things that you don't and…"

John put a finger over Rodney's lips, and was gratified when his lover immediately quieted. It was progress. "It is hard to let go. If it wasn't, it wouldn't mean as much to either of us when you did manage to fall completely into your headspace. As for what I don't know... I know more than you think I do. Trust me."

Rodney lowered his eyes and nodded.

"Good boy." John kissed his sub's forehead. "Go sit on the bed while I get what we'll need."

"Yes, sir," he whispered, padding quietly across the floor. He climbed up onto the bed, settling in a moment later with his legs hanging over the side. His head was still angled down, eyes on the floor several inches beneath his feet.

Nodding to himself, John retrieved the SPF 100 Rodney made and he had packed in their suitcase, along with the leash and gag they had used yesterday. He took all three items back to the bed.

Rodney was still as John placed everything beside him.

"Stand up for me so I can make sure I get all of you."

Rodney glanced up at John briefly before moving, standing with his legs slightly apart, arms at his side, head down.

John took his time applying the sunscreen, letting his hands linger all over Rodney's body, making the movements caresses, hoping it would help soothe and relax his lover.

And while some of the tension bled from Rodney's body, there was a lingering residual feeling that radiated off of him. Not quite disobedience, but not full submission either. Under normal situations it wouldn't bother John so much. In Atlantis they were busy and he was more than willing to give Rodney more leeway. But now…

When he was done, John urged Rodney to sit back on the bed, then curled his fingers under his sub's chin, forcing him to look John in the eye. "Right now there are no consequences for what you say. I want you to tell me the truth. What's bothering you?"

Rodney's gaze skittered to the side. "I don't know."

"So talk to me. Tell me what's going through your head."

He shrugged. "Nothing. Everything. I need this so badly but I can't…I feel like I can't let go. What if someone sees us, recognizes us? What if this turns out to be a really, really bad idea? My mind just keeps spinning and spinning and it doesn't want to let go."

"I’m going to get that big brain of yours to stop spinning, but it's going to take a little time. So right now tell me what, if you got exactly what you think you want right now, it would be."

Rodney shook his head. "I don't know. I can't just—"

John let his thumb drag across Rodney's lips, stopping the flow of frustration. "Work with me here. I might be a good top, but I'm not a mind reader. I need some feedback so I can figure out exactly what you need right now. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Try to consciously relax your muscles."

With a nod, Rodney obeyed, his eyes closing a beat later. John pulled his thumb away, letting Rodney take in a few breaths, giving him a few minutes to center himself, to quiet himself.

John kept his voice low, soothing. "I want you to think about how it feels when you let go, when you submit completely. Think about how relaxed you are, how your mind slows down and all tension just leaves your body."

Rodney started to shake his head. "I just can't…"

"Shh. The word can't isn't in your vocabulary right now. And I'm not asking you to drop to that place, not yet. Right now, I just want you to think about it, about the way it feels."

He whimpered, but nodded, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

John let his hands drift over Rodney's body, gliding over soft skin. "Now I want you to think about all the things we've done. The toys we use, the different ways we've played. What's at the top of that list? Is there anything that makes your breath catch, your heart beat a little faster at just the thought?"

He nodded a few moments later, shifting a little on the bed.

"Tell me about it."

Rodney licked his lips and for a moment John wasn't sure the scientist was going to answer. "It's…it's a combination of things."

"I won't promise to do them all, but I want to hear about it." John smiled, trying to reassure his lover. "I want to know what you're thinking about, because it will help me determine what I need to do to help you fall."

"It's…it's when you really push me. When I'm bound so tightly I can barely move or breathe, you've filled me, stretched me, forced me to take everything you've given me and then…and then sometimes it's…it's when you spank me and my ass is red and hot and so sensitive that even the lightest breeze makes me shudder." Rodney took a breath and John remained quiet, waiting to see if he'd continue, wanting to make sure he was finished. His lover surprised him sometimes, like now.

"It's…it's when you give me no other choice but to submit," he finished a few moments later, the last few words quiet.

John took a few deep breaths, continuing to caress Rodney's skin. "I had planned to work up to that, to drop you down slowly. But since that isn't working, we might need to try plan B."

"Plan B?"

John let a little glint of both amusement and arousal show in his eyes. "Plan B."

"Care to share that with me?"

"It will be more fun to let you guess."

"But John—"

"Ah ah. I thought I said no using that phrase." Smiling, John picked up the gag. "And I have what I need. Now it's time for you to just feel."

"John?" Rodney's eyes were wide, the word showing some of Rodney's nervousness.

John just smiled, and slipped the gag on to his lover.

Rodney fought him a little, trying to spit it out, but John had been prepared for that, his fingers making fast work on the buckle. Grabbing a small padlock, he secured it as well. His lover was breathing heavily already, blue eyes wide as he shifted on the bed, making a move to try and get away.

John was faster though. Using the straps at hand, he locked Rodney to the bed. It wasn't his final position, but would prevent him from moving for the moment.

He was positioned on his side for the moment, tugging at the straps holding him in place. His eyes were wide and fixed on John as he moved around the master suite.

John hummed to himself, gathering up a variety of items, although he was careful not to let Rodney see what, exactly, he was grabbing. After setting down the bulk of it out of his lover's view, John grabbed a blindfold and advanced on the bed.

Rodney shrank back a little, as much as the straps would allow, as John approached. He was whimpering and shaking his head, already begging. But even though he was saying no, his body—especially his cock—was sending John a very different message. He was hard and already leaking.

John took a moment to caress Rodney's face. "Slow didn't work, so now it's time for something else."

He whimpered again, but pressed his head into John's touch, letting his eyes drift closed.

"Good boy." John slipped the blindfold on. When it was in place, he pulled a set of earplugs out. They wouldn't completely kill all sound, but they would muffle everything for Rodney.

John waited a few minutes, watching his lover carefully, making sure he wasn't in any kind of distress, making sure this wasn't going to be too much for him. Rodney was panting around the gag, chest heaving a little, his body trembling. He waited, watching. If it continued for much longer he'd stop and figure out another way, but right now Rodney needed a heavier hand.

The trembling eased off after a few minutes, his breathing regulating soon after.

Perfect. John unhooked the straps and rolled Rodney to the middle of the bed, on his stomach, before re-attaching them. He spread his lover's legs wide, and pushed his hands above his head, then tightened everything down so Rodney could barely wiggle, much less move.

But Rodney tried, tugging and twisting a little, testing the bonds. Two of them shifted more than John wanted, so he moved back and adjusted them until his lover whimpered as he was stretched wide, pinned in place.

Humming softly again, John ran a hand down Rodney's back, over his ass. Then he went across the room to get one of his items—a soft suede flogger he had been eyeing since they arrived. He had never used anything like this on Rodney before, but he was pretty sure his lover would enjoy it.

Turning to move back to the bed, John took a moment to just look his fill, to watch as Rodney tried to shift, to squirm, but was held in place. He was making small, quiet noises right now, even before John began. Before he was finished, Rodney would be making a whole lot more noise.

Starting at Rodney's shoulders, John dragged the flogger down his lover's back, over his ass, and down one leg.

Rodney shivered, whimpering, his entire body tense as he anticipated what John was going to do.

But for now, John just trailed the material back up Rodney's other leg, reversing the path.

His lover was tugging at the restraints, hands opening and closing above his head. By the time John was done, Rodney would be mush under his hands. One way or another, Rodney was going to be relaxed and in headspace.

Bringing the flogger up, John started softly, letting the suede caress Rodney's body, get his lover used to the sensations.

His sounds were still quiet, but continual. That was going to change.

John started to put some effort into it, carefully placing his strokes. He concentrated mostly on Rodney's ass, but he also made sure his sub's thighs and back weren't neglected either.

Rodney tugged at the restraints with each and every pass of the flogger, his sounds still subdued. He was holding back, refusing to let go. The tension he was holding in his body just looked painful.

John didn't let up though. He wasn't taking no for an answer.

He began to put a little more into each stroke, watching as Rodney's ass, thighs, and back turned red. On one of the harder passes, John finally heard the first break in his lover's voice, the moaning, loud whimper that couldn't be held back any longer.

Perfect. He ramped up again, putting all of his weight into it, knowing that, with this tool at least, he wouldn't be able to hurt Rodney seriously.

Now, each time the flogger touched skin, Rodney yelped or moaned loudly, letting John hear him. He'd stopped tugging at the bindings, simply hanging on. The tension was less, but still there.

The flogger had done its job. John set it aside, running his hands up and down Rodney's sides for a few minutes, grounding his lover a bit. The he retrieved the next item he had pulled out—a wide paddle. This would hurt more, and would make Rodney's ass glow a pleasing red.

With the first solid smack, Rodney yelled, actually yelled through the gag.

The sound made John smile. And he did it again.

The next one pulled a sobbing yell from his lover as John heard and saw his lover let go. His hands were no longer wrapped around the straps, the tension in his shoulders already easing.

John didn't stop until Rodney's ass was glowing. His lover wouldn't be sitting down without remembering this for a few days, at least.

And that was partially the point—getting Rodney to remember who was in charge and why they were here. John finally paused when he noticed Rodney was beginning to hump the bed a little, pleasure finally pushing through the pain.

John ran a hand up Rodney's back, settling it on his lover's neck, pressing down a little.

Rodney quieted with a whimpering moan, panting around the gag filling his mouth.

John stroked a small patch of skin with his thumb. This was where he wanted Rodney. Turned on, and able to focus on nothing except what they were doing, how John was making him feel.

He also knew that this would only go so far if he stopped now. No, Rodney needed more than just this reminder. He needed a firm hand and John had no problem providing it. Rodney had wanted heavy play and today he was going to get it.

John leaned over to grab a vibrator, slicking it up. He didn't give Rodney much time to adjust as he pulled the plug free and pushed the new toy inside him, flicking it on.

Rodney shuddered with the new sensation, whimpering loudly as his body trembled beneath John's hands.

John gave a mental flick to the cock ring, making sure it was tight enough to prevent Rodney from coming. Then he picked the paddle up and began to lightly spank again.

The sounds were exquisite. High pitched, low pitched, desperate and wanting.

John alternated between the paddle, and fucking Rodney slowly with the dildo.

His lover was coming apart beneath him.

But John kept pushing. He didn't just want Rodney down a little bit. He wanted to shatter his sub, break him into a hundred pieces so he could put the other man back together better, with less stress, less worry, less fear.

When Rodney had been reduced to quiet sobs, John finally slowed, turning off the vibrator and used his hands to ground his lover once again. Rodney quieted as soon as John touched him, stilling beneath his hands.

John ran a hand up, tugging one of the earplugs out. "So beautiful. I love you like this."

Rodney whimpered quietly.

"You aren't going to come today. You're going to stay hard and leaking for me, and you're going to remain gagged unless we're eating."

Another whimper was Rodney's only response, his body completely still beneath John. Progress. He'd stopped openly fighting him.

Nodding to himself, John rearranged the straps so he could flip Rodney onto his back, tightening everything back down. The sheets were incredibly soft, but he knew his sub would feel every single twitch against the exquisitely sensitized skin of his ass.

Rodney had sobbed as soon as his ass touched the bed, arching a little to try to get away, but John had tightened down the straps securing him flat to the bed, making sure every single inch of his skin was making contact. Rodney moaned and whimpered, squirming and writhing in the restraints.

Stripping off his pants, John climbed onto the bed. He stroked himself a few times—God he was hard. Admiring his lover, he smiled slightly. There was more than one type of gag. He moved up the bed, pulling off the ball gag his lover was currently wearing. But before Rodney had a chance to react to that, John pushed his own cock into his lover's mouth.

Rodney's surprised moan was perfect. His lover began sucking on him as soon as he realized what John had done, his body melting a little into the bed. Yes, John thought, smiling to himself. This was just the start of what Rodney would take from him today. He'd taste him on his tongue, feel him, be filled by him over and over again.

John gave Rodney a moment to suck, then he took control again. He pushed in deep, as far as he knew Rodney could take him. Then he went just a little further and held it for a count of three before pulling back out slowly.

Rodney gasped around John, taking in a deep breath before John was pushing in once again. Over and over again, John slowly fucked Rodney's mouth, pushing in deep and cutting off his airway until Rodney stopped trying to suck him, letting his mouth fall open, permitting John to use him as he wanted.

"Good boy." John knew his breath was ragged, that his lover could hear how turned on he was. And that was part of what made this so good. John liked letting Rodney know exactly how much he adored and worshipped him.

His lover had started humming a little—at least when John wasn't pushed in deep—basking in the praise.

John was getting close. He sped up a bit, needing to find completion. Finally, he pulled out so only the head of his cock was in Rodney's mouth, and then he couldn't hold back any longer. He was coming, hard, filling his lover in yet another way. Claiming him.

Rodney eagerly swallowed it all down, licking John clean before he pulled out all the way, replacing his cock with the gag once again. His lover moaned as soon as the ball gag filled his mouth, arching up into John as much as the restraints would allow.

John ran a hand through Rodney's hair petting him. "Such a good boy."

His lover was moaning continually now, trembling as John's hands played with his body, fingers tweaking at tugging and torturing his nipples. The smaller decorative rings were still in place, but John had other plans—after, of course, he played for a while.

John replaced his fingers with his mouth, starting high on Rodney's neck, and working his way down, stopping to play and abuse the perky little nipples along the way.

John felt his lover's body opening up for him, submitting to him with each and every touch, every press of lips to skin. Rodney had fallen into headspace, pushed there through John's ministrations. He could be farther down, though, but John knew he'd get him there. There was still plenty of time to make sure he was so far down in subspace it would take him days to climb out.

Moving lower, John engulfed his lover's weeping cock in his mouth, sucking and worshipping it. He played with it until his jaw started to ache, then pulled off, kissing his way back up again.

Rodney was sobbing again, quietly, but he'd finally stopped fighting, stopped pushing, stopped demanding.

John nibbled his way over to the ear he had pulled the earplug out of. "Shhh. So beautiful, so perfect."

After a few panting, moaning breaths, Rodney obeyed, the sounds quieting until he was simply breathing—heavily—but breathing.

"Good boy." John whispered the praise, flicking out a tongue to lick almost delicately along Rodney's ear.

His lover shivered under him, but was silent, his body melting a little further into the bed.

Sitting up, John made sure to stay in contact with his sub, but otherwise just sat back to admire. God, Rodney was absolutely gorgeous like this. Even though he had come not long ago, John's body gave a few hard twitches.

But now the question was: what next? He still wanted to walk on the beach and Rodney was already coated in sunscreen—which tasted like coconut. He'd have to reapply in a few places, John knew. But, first things first—making sure his lover was appropriately attired.

After unhooking him from the straps on the bed, John guided the other man gently, pulling him to his feet. He re-applied the sunscreen to the places where it had gotten licked off. Next, he took out the small nipple rings and replaced them with heavier-duty rings, then ran a chain from the collar to each ring, and then from the rings down to Rodney's pretty red dick.

Eyeing his lover's cock for a long moment, John told Rodney to stay still, moving to the closet. He'd seen something earlier he wanted to try. It wasn't a cage, per say. It was more a decoration. He spotted it immediately and grabbed it, along with a tall posture collar. Rodney had wanted strict, he was going to get it.

Moving back to his lover, John took Rodney in hand and slid the coiled metal around his length, setting the small metal ball right in the slit at the tip. A small click and it was attached to the cock ring. God, he loved Ancient technology. Tell it to attach itself to something else and it did, no questions asked.

He stepped back admiring the way the metal wrapped around Rodney, holding him erect. His lover was moaning quietly, but hadn't moved a muscle.

Curious as to whether the vibrations would travel or not, he told the ring to buzz softly.

And Rodney's knees almost buckled, John's hands catching his shoulders and holding him upright as he moaned, panting heavily around the gag.

Chuckling, John turned it back off again. Good to know. They were going to have fun with that later.

It took a few moments for Rodney to get himself under control, but he did, pulling himself together and getting his feet back under him. John pulled off the chains connected to the collar for a moment, letting them hang down, tugging at his lover's nipples. He turned Rodney around, unlocking and tugging the leather collar free, only to replace it with the much stiffer posture collar. This would keep his head in place, chin up slightly. John locked it into place, making sure it wasn't too tight against Rodney's skin. He secured his hands behind his back a moment later—wrist to the opposite arm cuff—so his arms were bent at the elbow across his back. Another strap wrapped around his forearms, securing them together and connecting them to the collar, offering a bit more support.

John had to make sure that gloriously red ass was clearly on display.

Finally, he pulled out the second earplug, leaving the blindfold and gag in place. John wanted Rodney to hear all the admiration people were going to have for him. He re-attached chains from the nipple rings to the ring on the front of the posture collar before stepping back and admiring. With a nod to himself, he snapped the leash into place, and John gave it a slight tug.

Rodney moaned quietly, but moved forward slightly, stopping when John released the pressure on the leash. Perfect.

John walked around him, making sure everything was where it needed to be, stopping when he caught sight of the vibe still in his lover's ass. Hmm. Should he leave it there or put in one of the larger plugs? Or was there a large vibrating plug in the closet? John hadn't looked that close. That would be the best of both worlds.

He checked, delighted when he found what was really a cross between a plug and a dildo in size, and it did vibrate. Slicking it up, he didn't give Rodney any warning before switching the toys out.

Rodney moaned, hissing a little as the larger plug stretched him before he closed around the neck of the plug, settling it deep inside of him. The black of the plug was a nice contrast to the red of his ass, the wide end standing out nicely. There was no question as to what was in his lover's ass.

John carefully turned it on to the lowest setting, more of a hum than real vibration.

The whimpering moan and shudder that ran through Rodney's body was perfect. He chuckled, pulling on a pair of swim shorts.

John got a good grip on the leash almost all the way up, near Rodney's neck. He gave a gentle tug to get him moving.

A few stumbling steps later and Rodney finally steadied on his feet, whimpering quietly with every few breaths. John guided him through the cottage and down the front steps onto the path leading toward the beach.

The weather was absolutely perfect. The sun was warm, but there was a soft breeze that kept it from being too warm. He was glad neither of them were wearing shoes, the sand feeling good between his toes.

He spotted several people out and about, slaves in various stages of bondage and submission along with their masters. He didn't see Pam or Derek, but the resort property was large. They could be anywhere.

It was... exhilarating, to be so open not only about who he was with, but also the type of relationship they had. John nodded to a few of the other tops as they passed, observing the etiquette of not staring at or acknowledging someone else's sub unless invited to do so.

Everyone was polite, courteous, their eyes not lingering very long on Rodney. John tugged the leash, getting Rodney to speed up a little as soon as he caught a glimpse of the sparkling blue water.

When it came into view, John's breath caught in his throat. It was beautiful. It was just like home, only without the threat of impending doom or something exploding.

Part of John was…frustrated, though. Had Rodney cooperated a little more this morning, he could be sharing this with him in such a different way. Taking a deep breath, John tugged his submissive forward, heading for the water's edge.

He paused just before they hit water. "I want you to see this, see how amazing it is here."

Rodney gave John a small nod of understanding.

He pulled the blindfold off, pulling his lover close. It was still late morning/early afternoon, so the way the light reflected off the water was breathtaking.

Rodney settled easily against him, blinking against the light. John could feel the vibrations running through his sub's body, loved how Rodney leaned into him.

Out in the water someone was surfing—it looked like he was getting some great waves. Part of John yearned to be out there, to lose himself in that for a little while. But he knew Rodney needed him here. Hopefully he could get out there another day.

They stayed like that for a long while, until finally John felt Rodney melt into him, some of that last resistance fading away.

John pressed his lips against Rodney's shoulder, pulling him closer. Then he spotted a cabana nearby, with what looked like nice thick cushions. With another brief kiss, John straightened and tugged Rodney over.

His sub moved easily, willingly, his steps sure and trusting. The cabana was empty, the cushioned surfaces deceptive. There were various straps and hooks, hidden carefully along the edges. He could strap Rodney in just about any position he wanted, if he wanted to, that is.

For now, John just sat down, tugging Rodney in with him, and settling the other man between his legs, with his back to John's chest. He wrapped his arms around him, and sighed softly, relaxing.

Rodney didn't struggle, didn't shift, his body as pliant as it could be secured the way it was. His eyes were heavy, but focused on the water and beach beyond the cabana.

The sound of the waves was relaxing, lulling almost. And with Rodney's warm body against his, John found his eyes getting heavy.

He startled awake at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Blinking his eyes open, John looked around.

"Isn’t your bed comfortable?" Pam asked, smirking.

John grinned at her. "Perfectly so. But it doesn't have this view. Or the breeze."

"I spotted you and had to stop and say hello. It seems like you had to take things into hand," she said, chin gesturing toward Rodney.

John nuzzled the top of his sub's neck a bit. "He needed some help dropping down, and needed it fast and hard. So that was what we did this morning. Hopefully now that he's down, I can keep him there for the rest of the vacation."

"He certainly seems to be in headspace," Pam said, her eyes staying on Rodney's face. She was pretty impressed. "Eyes are open, but not seeing much I don't think."

Chuckling, John nudged his sub, gratified when Rodney immediately moved forward, letting John arrange him. "I had him blindfolded, and I'll put it back on before we go do anything else. I just wanted him to be able to enjoy the view for a bit, too."

"Good. Looks like he is," she said, turning to go. It was then that he realized she was alone.

"Hey, where's Derek?"

"At the cottage, reading."

Standing, John stretched a bit. "He's not the kind to go down hard and stay there, huh?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Sometimes we need to just…do things apart. I wanted to take a walk and he wanted to read."

"Were you still interested in a few mutual demonstrations later?"

"Maybe tomorrow."

"Sure." John glanced over at Rodney, who had shifted slightly, arranging himself so he was leaning heavily against John, head pillowed on his chest. He buried his fingers in his sub's hair, petting him softly. "So other than a lot of kinky sex and surfing, what else does the resort have to offer?"

Pam gestured to the nearby chair. "Do you mind…?"

"No, please, have a seat. As you can see, we weren't actually doing anything except vegging out."

"Thanks," she said, offering a grateful smile. "Apart from you, I haven't found many doms willing to chat, honestly. Most like the privacy this resort offers."

Smiling, John shrugged. "If I wanted privacy, we could have just stayed in the apartment at home. For me, part of the appeal of a place like this is the chance to show off my beautiful sub, and chat with other tops. I like hearing about what other people are doing, and showing off a little myself."

Her eyes drifted down to Rodney, who had started humming a little, before lifting her eyes after a brief moment back to meet John's gaze. "True, but it's nice to get away, change the scenery."

"I guess it's all perspective. Our lives are pretty exciting, so this is a chance to get some downtime."

"Are you, actually, going to get some downtime?"

That made him chuckle again. "This is downtime. And it's fucking fantastic." He scratched his fingernails a little against Rodney's scalp, getting a happy noise for his efforts.

"You don't get to do this often?"

"Once a year. Twice if we're really, really lucky. Otherwise, we work pretty much seven days a week, so it's just snatches of time we steal together. At least we work together; if we didn't we'd probably both go nuts."

"You work together?" She asked, leaning back in the chair. "What do you do?"

"He's a scientist. Physicist, actually. I'm an assistant of sorts. That's one of my jobs at least."

"So, he's your boss? Huh. Makes sense that you switch out of the office."

John ran a hand through his hair. "It's a bit more complicated than that actually. We're equals part of the time, and the rest I'm actually higher up in the cha... in the food chain, so to speak. It's a classified project, so unfortunately I can't tell you a lot of details."

"Classified. No wonder why you're under so much stress. You really should try to get some more time off to relax."

"I wish we could." John scratched again, the sound Rodney made going straight to his cock. "But I'll take what I can get."

"I should let you and your sub relax," Pam said, rising to her feet. "It was good talking to you."

John smiled at her. "I enjoy the company. We're in cabin 7B. Come on by any time and we can do some mutual showing off."

"I'll…" she said, breaking off, nodding instead. "I'll talk to you soon."

John watched her leave, then looked back down at his lover. "Hey, buddy, how you doing?"

Rodney just shifted closer, humming quietly. His eyes were closed, his breathing even and regular.

John ran his fingers down, to run his thumb along Rodney's jaw. Then he went lower, slipping the catch on the bands holding Rodney's arms together. "Lie back, hands above your head."

His lover shifted slowly, but obeyed, rolling onto his back on the cushions. John watched him as he lifted his arms, settling into position.

Mmmm. So nice. John made use of the straps, and tied Rodney's arms in place. Then he inspected the straps at the bottom. He figured out how to make a sling of sorts, that slipped just under Rodney's knees, holding them up and apart, exposing Rodney's entrance for whatever John wanted to do.

Nice, John thought, sitting back to admire. Sex outside was so… He wanted to say risky, but here it was normal, even encouraged.

In fact... He looked around, and found, in a discreet little niche in the lounge, several small disposable tubes of lube and some condoms. He pulled out a single use tube of the lube out and ran a finger along Rodney's erection, keeping it light and fleeting.

Rodney moaned quietly, his cock red and angry-looking. John traced the metal coil wrapped around it, loving the way it shined in the light.

He told the cock ring to start buzzing softly, and eased the plug out of Rodney's body.

A shudder worked its way through Rodney's body, the moan louder now. Beautiful. So beautiful.

John pushed his swimsuit down, freeing his cock. He slicked it up and then positioned himself to sink slowly into Rodney's body.

Rodney groaned, whimpering as John entered him, pushing in deep.

"God, you're so hot and soft inside..." John started to thrust slowly, savoring the way Rodney's body caressed his cock.

His sub clenched down, moaning as John stroked him on the inside.

It was a slow, intense fuck, as John pushed them both higher and higher.

The breeze caressed his body, the smell of the ocean, sunscreen, and sex mixing together in some perfect arrangement. Instead of fighting him, Rodney opened himself up, his muscles clenching and unclenching around John as he tried to make it good…better for him. He was moaning continually, eyes screwed shut as John fucked him, claimed him.

With a deep, long moan, John finally couldn't hold back any longer. He was coming, hard, his body falling over the edge.

He came back to his senses several moments later sprawled over his sub, still breathing heavily, the aftershocks finally subsiding. Rodney was panting around the gag, moaning quietly, but otherwise still and quiet. His cock was trapped between their bodies, the cock ring vibrating happily.

John eased the vibrations back down, until they were off completely. He groped down in the cubby where the lube had come from, pulling out a disposable antibacterial wipe. He used that to clean the plug before pulling out slowly and replacing the toy in Rodney's body.

His sub moaned quietly as the plug slid into place, trapping John's come inside of him.

John half-heartedly used the wipe to clean himself up, then tugged his bathing suit back into place. He loosened the straps holding Rodney's legs up, but left his sub's arms bound, curling up along his side.

Finding an area clear of chains or leather, John settled his head on Rodney's chest, listening to the sound of his heart beating. With the posture collar in place, his lover could barely move his head at all, couldn't really even lift his head. It seemed like this intense session was just what his sub needed to get him to finally let go of everything that had been bothering him.

He idly traced patterns on Rodney's chest, dragging his finger through the other man's hair, across his skin. He loved just being able to touch at his leisure.

Rodney shivered and trembled beneath him, but was generally quiet, only a few subdued moans or whimpers escaping his gagged mouth. His body spoke loud enough for both of them, responding beautifully, openly under John's hands.

They stayed that way for a while, and John was feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. His stomach, however, finally gave a little grumble. It had been a while since breakfast, and he was willing to bet Rodney needed to eat, too.

There were several option on the resort property for food—three different restaurants, two smaller cafes, and of course their own cottage. John had spotted a few basics there he could make.

He thought about it, and decided on one of the small cafes. He wasn't ready to head back to the cottage yet. Sitting up, he pulled the blindfold back out, tying it into place around Rodney's eyes. "We're going to go find some lunch now."

Unfastening Rodney's wrists from the lounge, he helped him sit up before re-securing his arms behind his back the same way as he'd done earlier. There would probably be a lot of people around at the café, John mused, eyeing his sub carefully. It would be amazing to have him hard and panting, showing off his natural reactions while they ate lunch. His thought was slightly evil, John knew, but it would be so hot.

To that end, he turned the vibrations back on, on their lowest setting. And then reached down to do the same with the plug. He wanted Rodney trembling and leaking for him.

His sub moaned loudly, leaning into John as his body trembled hard.

"Come with me." John rose, tugging on the leash to get Rodney to his feet.

It took a few tries and John's hand on his elbow to get Rodney up, he was trembling so hard. But god…he looked amazing like this, sounded amazing. And John knew he'd adjust.

He started slow, letting Rodney move at his own pace for the moment. "God, you're so fucking pretty like this. I love watching you fall apart, love knowing I'm the one doing this to you."

Rodney whimpered, panting around the gag. The posture collar really made a difference, too. Normally Rodney would have hunched over, but with the collar he really couldn't. He had to keep his back straight which made the feeling more intense, John imagined, made Rodney feel even more vulnerable, more open and exposed.

It was perfect.

John picked up the pace a few moments later, tugging Rodney forward with the leash. He whimpered loudly, his feet stumbling a few times, but he kept up. He really had no other choice.

John spotted one of the small places to eat right on the beach, with a nice view of the ocean. Exactly what he was looking for. He headed in that direction.

It wasn't packed, but it was certainly busy. He found a table as close to the beach as possible, grabbing a small cushion for his sub to kneel on along with a handful of straps. There weren't any fancy platforms like last night, but there were plenty of places for attachment.

He pushed Rodney down onto the cushion, pushing his legs wide apart. Then he used the attachment points to secure him in that position, so he couldn't shift out of it.

Rodney moaned, though, shifting on his knees, drawing them together, caught up in the sensations. Without another set of cuffs around Rodney's thighs, though, to hold his legs open…unless he could get a set or a spreader bar for his knees… John glanced up, catching the eye of one of the café attendants who hurried over.

John motioned down at Rodney. "My sub is a little lost in his own head right now. I don't suppose you have something handy I can use to keep his knees apart while I feed him, do you?"

The man glanced down, his eyes narrowing critically as Rodney trembled and squirmed. "We don't have many options here, unfortunately. We only have the basics. I know the rooms have many more items which can be used. I can see what we have and bring out something. Do you have a preference for what you'd like?"

John sank his hand in Rodney's hair, petting him again. "If you've got a spreader bar I can use, that will work. Or thigh cuffs. He usually obeys fairly well, but right now I've got him a little worked up, and I don't want to pull him out of it yet, or punish him for not obeying."

"I understand," he said with a nod. "Let me see what I can find."

"Thank you." John flashed the man a smile. Then he glanced down at Rodney, using his feet to push his sub's legs apart again, and then leaving them there for the moment to prevent Rodney from closing them.

It didn't take long for the man to return, a metal spreader bar with attached cuffs in hand. "This is the only thing I could find back there," he said, apologizing. "It's not the best quality."

John smiled again. "This is fine. It's just for lunch. Next time, I'll think ahead and just have him wear the cuffs out. Thanks!"

"Not a problem, sir. I'll make a note to order some to store at the café."

John urged Rodney to sit up on his knees so the thigh cuffs could go on, the bar forcing him to spread his legs even further.

Rodney whimpered and moaned, struggling a little with John as he put the bar in place. John had to adjust his ankle straps as well to make sure his sub was comfortable and yet completely restrained.

Once he was sure Rodney was secure, John leaned over to disguise what he was doing, and mentally upped the vibration on the cock ring—and through that, on the decorations adorning Rodney's erection.

His sub howled before dropping down into a sob, body shuddering hard. And this was still at a relatively low setting.

John purred soft praise, petting Rodney gently. "Shh. So good. You're so pretty like this..."

"If you need someone to fuck him, I'm sure you'll get a few people to take you up on that offer," said a deep-voiced man from an adjacent table.

Glancing up, John smiled, but shook his head. "I just fucked him before lunch, and I'll do it again later today. But thanks for the offer."

The man was well muscled and staring, his sub bound heavily—full leather suit from the top of his head to the sole of his feet complete with heavy chains and various padlocks—on the floor beside his chair. "I'm sure I could really make him scream."

John continued to run a hand through Rodney's hair, both as a sign of possession and to give his lover something to ground him. "I don't let anyone else touch him. But I am willing to fuck for an audience."

"Sure you won't change your mind? I'm sure I could make it worth your while."

John shook his head. "I'm more than a little possessive of him. I like showing him off, but I'm the only one who gets to touch."

"It would just be the two of us," he continued, eyes predatory, focused on Rodney's ass. "I'm sure we can work something out."

"No. Sorry. Feel free to look all you want, but there won't be any touching."

"He won't mind."

"He will, but that's not the point. He's mine, and I mind."

"If you bring him out here like that, you are expected to share, you know."

"I'm not expected to do anything. I like showing him off. But that doesn't mean I want to share him."

"Sirs, excuse me. Is there a problem?" The same attendant that had helped John before was standing looking at them, eyes hard.

John tightened his grip slightly in Rodney's hair, not enough to hurt, but enough to make his claim clear. "I was just refusing the request to fuck my sub. I'm afraid I don't share."

The attendant nodded, turning to the other man. "Arnold. We've been through this before, haven't we?"

John caught and held Arnold's gaze. He wanted to make sure he knew who this person was, just in case. It sounded like maybe he had a history of this.

"You can't expect me to ignore it," he argued, gesturing to Rodney who had finally quieted a little, leaning against John's leg, breathing heavily. "Look at him. Having him out here like that is just asking for it."

"It's his right." The attendant's gaze hardened again. "You know that. You're allowed to offer, but if it's refused, you have to let it drop. Force the issue, and you will be banned from the premises."

"Henderson won't ban me," Arnold said haughtily.

"He will if you're harassing other guests."

"No, he won't. Tried before."

"Leave the other guests alone, Arnold."

"It's my right to enjoy myself."

"I won't argue that with you. But this gentleman has a right to enjoy himself as well, with his sub. It's his sub, so it's his rules."

"Then I want my money back," Arnold said, rising to his feet. "Especially since I'm not getting what I was promised."

"You were never promised the right to fondle other guests' subs. But take a refund up with Henderson."

"I was promised that this resort was open and anything was allowed. Seems like it's false advertising."

The attendant rolled his eyes. "You knew there were certain rules of etiquette. If it was a resort sub, you could do what you wanted. But these two are guests just like you. With as much right to enjoy their vacation as anyone else, any way they please."

"The resort subs are pathetic," Arnold said, rolling his eyes, tugging his sub to his/her—John couldn't actually tell—feet. "This isn't finished. And it's his fault for adorning him and parading him around like that."

John narrowed his eyes. "As you said, this is an open resort. I happen to like the way he looks like this."

"Then it's on your head if something happens to him," Arnold said angrily, pulling his sub behind him roughly, the submissive nearly losing its feet.

John pulled Rodney a little closer, glancing at the attendant. "Is this something I need to be concerned about? I'm here to enjoy my sub and my vacation, and to relax. I don't want to spend it looking over my shoulder."

"You shouldn't have to, no. We've had…incidents with Arnold before," the attendant said with a sigh. "Nothing's escalated, however."

John nodded. "Thanks. I'll just keep an eye out then. Everyone else I've run into here has been great. Was that his sub, or one you loan him for his stay?"

"I'm not sure," he said honestly. "He has two of his own here and uses several from the resort."

"And now he wants mine? He's what? Near forty? How much sex can he possibly have?"

"He's into humiliation and control." The attendant shrugged. "To each his own."

John echoed the shrug. "As long as he stays away from mine. I like showing him off, and I'll accept an audience if someone is interested, but I'm the only one who gets to touch him."

"I have to alert the staff about the incident, so there will probably be a little more security around until he leaves."

"I appreciate it." John glanced back down at Rodney, glad to see the slight altercation didn't seem to have affected his sub at all. Rodney was still lost in his own little haze of pleasure, humming softly to himself.

John was glad he'd finally adjusted to the sensations, letting his body enjoy the pleasure.

"I'll get you a menu shortly, sir," the waiter said. "Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance."

Nodding, he stroked his lover, just enjoying the connection. When the attendant returned, he ordered for them both, and settled back to just admire Rodney, as well as the other subs in various states of bondage around the cafe.

It was interesting to be able to see the diversity. There were several couples that we not in bondage at all—that John could see—simply naked and enjoying the views and the food. Others were completely covered in leather or rubber or some other materials. One dom was getting a rather nice blow-job a few tables over from his female sub while another serviced her, eating her out. It was…yeah…

He decided he really loved this place. And he was, surprisingly, starting to get hard again. Smiling to himself, he reached around to unhook Rodney's gag, leaving the blindfold in place. He pulled himself out and guided Rodney's face to his groin.

His sub sat down on his heels, humming around John's cock as he began sucking. Rodney's mouth was always perfect and the suction and teeth amazing. His mouth was certainly made to suck cock.

Since John had already come twice today, his cock didn't fill immediately. He actually really liked the way Rodney felt when he was only half-hard. He could just sit back and really enjoy the sensations. He curled his fingers in the other man's hair, rubbing a spot on the back of Rodney's neck with his thumb.

"Your water, sir," the waiter said, depositing the large glass on the table. "Your food will be along shortly."

"Mmmm." John hummed his thanks, waving his free hand lazily.

His sub began to purr a few moments later as John's cock slowly filled his mouth, John's hands petting him.

John was still enjoying the slow blow job when the food arrived. He selected a piece of meat for Rodney, and gave his sub's head a soft tug. "You can go back to that in a minute. I promise. And you can lick and suck all you want between bites."

Rodney shifted, opening his mouth to accept the food John was offering, licking his lips even before it was close. They were shiny and the corners of his mouth were slightly bruised from where the strap had dug in a little too much when he'd struggled.

John ran a thumb along each of the bruises. He liked marking Rodney, but he preferred them to be intentional. He was going to have to be more careful. He fed his lover another bite of food, moaning softly when Rodney caught his thumb to suck a little before taking the bite.

He purred, drawing back just far enough to chew the piece before opening his mouth again and waiting.

"God, you're so beautiful..." John leaned in, needing to taste Rodney for himself. That was one of the things he hated about gags—he didn't get to kiss as much as he wanted.

Rodney moaned into the kiss, sliding his tongue over John's.

They made out lazily, savoring each other. When a natural break came, John pulled back just enough so his breath was ghosting over Rodney's lips. "Love you."

"Love you," Rodney whispered, his lips brushing John's, the words barely reaching John's ears.

John captured his lover's lips for another slow kiss before pulling back to feed him again.

It was like they were totally in synch. Top and bottom. Dom and sub. Giving and taking in equal measure. With each bite Rodney took, each brush of his lips against his fingers, John felt a small piece of his own world shift.

Everything else faded into the background. All he noticed or cared about was Rodney, and making him feel good.

The waiters were efficient and kind, working easily around them, giving them a sense of privacy in the middle of a crowded restaurant.

John lost track of time, but it seemed like it was almost no time at all before all the food was gone. He slowly guided Rodney back to his groin, following through on his promise from before. "We're not in any hurry, buddy. Just take your time and enjoy yourself."

Rodney hummed loudly, settling in, his mouth warm and wet as it wrapped around John's length. As his sub serviced him, sucking him, John leaned back, letting himself feel and enjoy it.

With one hand buried in Rodney's hair again, he leaned back, closing his eyes. A small smile curved his lips, and the occasional moan managed to sneak out.

With each moan he let escape, Rodney backed off for a moment before taking John in deeper, sucking harder.

John was panting now, one hand gripping the arm rest of his chair as he fought to keep from thrusting up.

But Rodney was persistent, humming and sucking and scraping his teeth along John's length.

With a deep whine, John felt himself getting closer and closer. He wasn't going to be able to hold it back much longer.

And then his sub simply stopped. There was no sucking, not humming, no nothing. Instead, he was simply holding John's cock in his mouth.

"Oh fuck..." John knew he could force it, but god he was loving this, loving the way Rodney could play his body.

"He's a tease, isn't he?"

John forced his eyes open, still panting hard. "Nng?"

"Subs. They're all teases." It was a woman this time, another woman sub leashed and standing behind her.

"S'good. So good...." John moaned as Rodney gave his cock a little suck, then stopped again.

John tried to arch again with an almost silent cry, desperate to come now. But Rodney kept backing off to derail him every time. His head had fallen all the way back again, his eyes screwed tightly shut.

"I think your sub has you well in hand," she whispered as Rodney hummed around him.

He bucked up. It was too much and not enough. He started to babble. "Oh fuck need to come need to come Rodney please oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck...."

His sub shifted and took him deep, John's cock hitting the back of his throat.

With a scream, John finally found his release. He came like he had been abstaining for days instead of just hours.

When the aftershocks subsided, Rodney was holding him gently in his mouth, purring to himself.

It took a gratifyingly long time for John's breath to return to anywhere near normal. He felt wrecked. Cracking an eye, he grinned as he saw the women still standing there. "Hi."

"Better?" she smiled at him, her dirty-blond hair mostly pulled back in a pony-tail, a few strands hanging in her eyes.

"Mmmmm. Very nice. M'John. This is Rodney." He waved a lazy hand at his sub.

"Theresa. Deanna is my sub. You looked like you enjoyed yourself."

He smiled a little more firmly, as his brain came back online. "I appreciate it. He enjoys having my cock in his mouth, so sometimes he does his best to keep me hard and on edge for a while so he doesn't have to lose it. Since I'm getting a fantastic blow job out of it, I don't really complain much. But god, I really wanted to come."

Rodney sucked a little on his over-sensitive cock, pulling another moan from John.

Theresa chuckled, deep and low—the sound you normally only heard in a bedroom. "Well, it seems like someone wants all of your attention."

"He…he's a very good... boy..." John's fingers were back in Rodney's hair, stroking him.

"But it seems to have taken a lot of convincing to get him that way," she said, eyes trailing down Rodney's still reddened back and ass.

"Mmm. Just needed to take him down into headspace. He was having a hard time falling."

Rodney stilled again a few moments later, forehead pressed to John's stomach, his mouth just surrounding and holding John's cock. He was breathing easily, a content sigh escaping every now and then.

John continued to pet him, smiling softly. "So good."

Fingers trailed along his jaw line again, forcing him to glance up.

John felt a little punch-drunk, pleasure and contentment making it hard for him to hold on to a train of thought.

"Our cottage isn't far."

He smiled slowly, semi-interested in what she might be suggesting. "What did you have in mind?"

"You're obviously a top and I'm sure you could take care of two women."

He looked at her for a long moment. "I'm a little possessive about anyone else touching him."

"We're more interested in you right now," she said.

John thought for a moment and then shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I'm good right now."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "This vacation is about me and my sub and I don't want to change that…even though I’m sure you would be a lot of fun."

"If you change your mind we're just around the corner, cottage 14A." They moved away slowly, the top offering him a seductive smile over her shoulder before they turned the corner.

Rodney shifted with John's hands, not complaining or whining as the ball gag was slipped back into place and secured. It didn't take him long to release the straps and the spreader bar from his sub's body, getting him upright a few moments later. The ring and plug were still vibrating nicely, Rodney's body pliant and relaxed, buffeted by the sensations flowing through him.

John let his hand linger over his lover's body, admiring how beautiful he was.

He unhooked him and pulled him to his feet. He was unsteady, but John waited until Rodney got his balance before wrapping his hand in the leash and tugging him forward.

"Follow me." Rodney kept his feet, moving quickly to keep up with John as he strode forward.

They had been there longer than he thought—it was mid-afternoon, and the breeze was still really nice. John took his time, meandering slowly through the winding paths back to their own rooms.

The cleaning crew had gone through, straightening up and cleaning everything they'd used, John realized as they finally moved through the house again. He led Rodney right up to the bed, helping his lover crawl up into it. As soon as he was there, John unhooked his hands from behind his back and pulled them up, using the suspension bar above the bed to secure Rodney so his sub was sitting up on his knees. He unhooked the leash and tossed it over a nearby chair.

Rodney was breathing heavily around the gag as he hung there, beautiful in the restraints. The redness of his back had faded, but his ass was still nicely colored.

John moved back to the bed, running a hand over the pretty cheeks, teasing at the crack.

His mind kept going back to some of the other subs, about how even without a stitch of clothing or leather, it was clear that they were owned by the tan lines around their necks and limbs.

He wondered if they could get away with that. Rodney always had a collar on, so at least there was that. But to have a permanent mark... John teased at the plug his lover still had in, leaning forward to nibble and whisper in the other man's ear. "I'm going to fuck you again, soon. I want to be inside you, filling you. Feel you hot and slick all around me."

Rodney moaned and pressed back eagerly into John's hands, shifting on his knees to spread his legs a little wider. John had to laugh. He was so open, so wanton about sex. Rodney had had reservations about foreplay but never really about the fucking part.

"So eager. You're my little bottom slut, aren't you? It's one of the things I love about you." John pressed kisses along his lover's neck, nipping tiny marks along the way.

Rodney nodded, humming his agreement. He was trembling a little, jumping with each and every touch of John's teeth to his skin.

Fingering the plug, John very slowly withdrew it from Rodney's body. Setting it aside, he went to the bathroom to get a damp washcloth to clean his lover up some before he filled and plugged him again.

By the time John returned, only a minute later, he could already see rivulets of come shiny and wet along Rodney's inner thighs. That had been in Rodney all day. John's come.

He let one hand rest on Rodney's shoulder, dragging the soft, damp cloth over the worst of the trails. He spent the next ten minutes carefully and completely cleaning his lover, even pushing the cloth inside him to get what was still trapped.

Rodney was breathing heavily, body loose and pliant, more or less allowing the suspension system to completely hold him upright.

Setting aside the cloth, John used his mouth, kissing and licking all the skin he had just cleaned.

His sub began humming and purring not that long after, managing to become even more relaxed—John wasn't quite sure how that was possible.

He knew Rodney had finally dropped into the place where he didn't care if he came or not. He existed just to please John. It was both humbling and exhilarating at the same time.

Shifting on the bed, John picked a spot down near the bottom of Rodney's ass and began to lick—his precursor to marking him. He was going to make it deep and dark. He wanted Rodney to feel it every time he moved. And after the paddling this morning, the skin was even more sensitive than usual.

He worked his way up to the actual marking, loving the way Rodney's sounds got steadily louder. Finally, when he pulled back, there was a big bruise screaming John's claim.

Rodney was panting again, moaning quietly, but hadn't moved or squirmed while John had been marking him. He let his finger drift over the mark, pressing down. John smiled as soon as he heard the strangled moan from his sub.

"Mine."

Rodney moaned and hummed in agreement, pressing back into John's hand.

Grabbing the lube, John shoved his shorts down, kicking them off. He slicked himself up and pulled Rodney's cheeks apart, pushing in slowly, not stopping until he was buried in his sub.

By the time his balls touched the back of Rodney's thighs, his sub was whining and sobbing quietly. After all this stimulation and sensation, his cock had to hurt. Trapped within the ring and unable to come, he knew his sub was desperate for release, but promises had been made. Rodney would not be coming until tomorrow at the very earliest and John still had other things planned for today.

Stilling, John wrapped his arms around Rodney, pulling him back so he was flush against John's chest. "Shhh. It's okay, buddy. I've got you. Love you."

Rodney quieted in John's arms, his sobs slowly turning to hums of contentment and quiet purrs.

John murmured soft praise in his lover's ear, telling him how good he was, how good he felt.

As soon as John felt Rodney release some of the tension that had built, John began stroking and caressing his sub's body, whispering words of praise and fantasy into his ears.

He began to move his hips slowly, rocking in and out of Rodney's body as he talked, wrapping them both in pleasure, to the exclusion of everything else.

With a mental command, he eased the vibrations of the cock ring higher, feeling Rodney tremble and shudder in his arms as the pleasure increased. He moaned and whimpered, trapped in John's arms, impaled on his cock. But he didn't complain, didn't try to struggle or escape. He took it eagerly, rocking back to meet John's thrusts.

He held out for as long as he could, but finally John needed to come. With a few harder thrusts he filled his sub, claiming him again in the most basic way possible.

Rodney moaned as John filled him, milking every last drop from him as he clenched down on John's cock until it was nearly too much, too good.

Putting his head on his sub's shoulder, John rode out the sensations, mouthing mindlessly at Rodney's skin.

When he was finally able to breath a little easier, he reached down and grabbed the large plug he'd grabbed earlier and slicked it up, pressing it in deep as soon as he pulled out. Rodney groaned as John made the switch, but was otherwise quiet, lost in his own world of sensation.

Unhooking the straps, John eased them both down to the bed, pulling Rodney in close, just wanting to hold him.

Rodney melted into his arms, his back pressed all along John's front as they spooned together. This was a very different Rodney than a few hours ago. Before, the tension had been so obvious. Now…now John wasn't sure he could find a tense bone in his sub's body. His erection didn't count.

It was perfect. It was exactly what he had wanted—Rodney relaxed, pliant, submissive. Feeling pretty damn relaxed himself, John drifted in and out of a shallow nap, just enjoying the way his lover felt in his arms.

His sub had shifted somewhere in the middle of that timeframe, moving to lie on his back with John sprawled over him, their legs entwined. Rodney's fingers were gently grazing the skin above John's hip, every now and then releasing a quiet contented sigh or a purr.

John hummed, nuzzling a little patch of nearby skin and pressing little kisses into it.

His free hand—the one not pinned under Rodney's body—drifted down his sub's body before coming to rest on his cock, tracing the metal coiled around it. The ring was still vibrating. John realized he'd never shut it off after he'd come.

He eased the vibrations down, back to a low hum.

A note of displeasure entered his sub's voice, his fingers stilling against John's skin.

John chuckled. "I'll turn it back up later. If I leave it on high all the time, you'll lose the edge it sends you over."

Rodney huffed, his fingers beginning to move once again.

John kissed the little patch of skin under his mouth again. "Good boy."

His sub hummed, rubbing his leg against John's, his fingers pressing a little harder.

Sitting up on one elbow, John tugged the blindfold off. He wanted to see his lover's eyes.

Rodney blinked a few times before finally opening his eyes wide, focusing in on John's face. They were soft, aroused, and shockingly blue.

John could get lost in those eyes. He smiled gently, tracing a finger over Rodney's cheek. "So beautiful..."

His sub leaned a little into John's touch, never releasing his hold on John's eyes. They were drinking each other in, letting this moment swallow them whole.

John's finger trailed down to the heavy posture collar. "I'm going to take this off now, and put your metal collar back on you. We don't need this anymore, and I like the way the other one looks on you better."

Rodney blinked once, understanding in his eyes.

John unhooked the chains first, leaving in the heavier nipple rings. He loved how they looked on Rodney, how they made his nipples stand out even more. He pulled off the chains leading to the cock ring, too.

John shifted, turning Rodney onto his side so he could get to the lock in the back of the collar. A minute later and John was pulling the leather free, tossing it to the other side of the bed to join the chains. His eyes immediately caught the angry red lines under his sub's jaw where he'd struggled against the collar and where it had rubbed at his skin.

With a small, distressed noise, John immediately started to use his mouth to try and soothe the chafed skin.

But his sub immediately turned to face him, wrapping his arms around John, comforting him instead of the other way around. It was as if John could hear Rodney saying "It's okay. I'm fine. Don't worry."

Licking at the spots, John sighed. "Lemme get your regular collar."

Rodney didn't let go for nearly a minute, nuzzling into John's neck and chest, his hands splayed across John's back. When he finally did, Rodney rolled onto his back, arms at his sides, his eyes focused on John.

John touched his face again, then rolled out of bed, getting the metal collar. He padded back over and they both sighed softly when it was locked back into its place. "Better."

He blinked once, his eyes smiling up at John.

"I want to take you out in the sun a little over the course of the week, with the cuffs on you, as well as the collar. I want you to get a tan line that will mark you even when we have to take them off again."

Rodney moaned quietly, shaking his head a little, his blue eyes widening.

"You don't have a choice. I want to look down and see it, remember what we did."

He moaned again, whimpering a little as he closed his eyes, offering a resigned nod a beat later.

John leaned in to kiss Rodney's forehead. "You're mine."

Rodney hesitantly reached out, gently grazing his fingers against John's side.

"Yes, I'm yours, too. Always."

He touched John much more surely, turning into his arms.

John worked a leg between Rodney's again, pulling their bodies close together. It felt so good, the glide of skin on skin. He would never get tired of it.

Rodney pushed his nose into John's neck, breathing deeply, the puffs of air tickling a little. His hands stroked along John's back, tracing the lines of muscle, cupping his ass to tug them closer.

"I haven't given you much chance to touch me since we got here. I'm giving you free reign now. Touch whatever you want, as much as you want."

His sub purred quietly, his touch more sure. He gently rolled them so he was on top, straddling John, his hands moving across his shoulders. Rodney's eyes were intensely focused on where his hands were touching.

John raised his hands above his head, baring himself for his lover. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply and just enjoying the way Rodney's hands felt on his body.

After several minutes, Rodney's hand drifted up to his, lifting his arm. He placed it gently against his face, letting John's hand rest against the leather of the gag.

Opening his eyes, John smiled softly, moving his thumb in slow circles.

John knew what Rodney wanted. He wanted John to take out the gag. But…but today wasn't about what Rodney wanted, so the question was this: what did he want? Rodney was quiet and still, waiting on his dom to make a decision.

"If I take it off, you can use your mouth on me, but you still aren't allowed to speak. Can you do that?"

Rodney nodded immediately.

"Okay." John pulled him down so he could unhook the lock. "But if you say anything, it goes back on. My name is the only exception to that rule."

He was still as John unhooked the gag, tugging it free. John placed it on the bed next to his head, watching as Rodney opened and closed his mouth a few times, obviously working out some of the stiffness.

Reaching up again, John ran his thumb along the corner of Rodney's mouth.

He moaned quietly, his eyes closing as he leaned into John's touch.

Smiling, John let his arm drop again. "Touch me. Make me fly."

What Rodney did to him could only be described as worship. With his hands, his tongue, and his mouth, he touched and caressed and kissed just about every inch of skin and then some. He avoided some of the more sensitive areas—nipple, cock, balls—at first, or only used light touches which made John melt.

He was boneless, sprawled on the bed. When Rodney's hands urged him to turn over, he went, spreading his legs wide.

This time Rodney wasn't subtle. He spread John's cheeks and dove in, his tongue doing wicked, wicked things.

John made a lot of very embarrassing, high-pitched noises. But God... so fucking good...

Rodney kept it up for…God, it seemed like forever, and then all of a sudden John was manhandled onto his back once again and then Rodney was swallowing him down in one huge gulp. His one hand was massaging John's balls while his other moved to a nipple, twisting and tweaking and squeezing.

With a startled yell, John was coming hard. The orgasm was a complete surprise, and made his vision grey out at the edges.

When his awareness wandered back in, Rodney was plastered to his side, snuggled up close.

He brought a hand up, aimlessly caressing. "Mmmmm."

Rodney pressed a kiss to John's shoulder but was otherwise silent.

"Are you getting hungry? You're allowed to say yes or no."

His response was whispered. "Yes, John."

"I'll order room service." He sat up slowly. "Don't move."

Rodney nodded, letting John roll him onto his back, arms and legs spread wide, landing wherever they did. He didn't shift, didn't move, his eyes fixed on John.

John hummed his approval, letting his eyes sweep appreciatively over his sub's body. Almost as an afterthought, he flicked the ring's vibrations up again before going hunting for the menu he remembered seeing.

His sub arched up and he moaned loudly, John's name falling from his lips as his body trembled.

Grinning to himself, John went over to the phone and called up the number for room service. He ordered a few plates of food, then leaned against the wall to just admire the way Rodney's body looked.

John could tell Rodney was trying so hard not to say anything, his lips moving but no sound escaping as his body shuddered. His eyes were closed tightly, sweat beading along his hairline.

"I'm going to give you a free pass for noise for the moment. I'll let you know when it's back in effect again." And then he cranked the ring up to its highest setting.

Rodney actually yelled. Well, screamed maybe is closer to the truth, his body arching up off the bed. As soon as he could get another breath he started begging, pleading with John to let him come, desperation so clearly in his voice. His body was shuddering hard, hands clutching at the bed sheets.

Moving over to the bed, John sank his fingers into his lover's hair, stroking. "You aren't going to come today. Just enjoy the way it feels, on the knife edge of arousal."

The sobbing wail and begging nearly broke his resolve.

"Shhhh." He leaned down, covering Rodney's mouth with his own, whispering in between kisses.

Rodney nearly dove into John's mouth, greedy and desperate and open, hands finally managing to tug John on top of him, blanketing him from head to toe. Then, only then did John feel his sub let go again.

They made out for a long time, until John heard the discreet bell that meant the food had arrived. Sitting up with a few last nibbling kisses, he turned the vibrations back down again.

Rodney looked wrecked. He was breathing heavily, arms and legs all askew.

"That's a good look on you." John was aware his voice was more than a little husky.

His sub twitched, a finger moving, but he quickly gave up on that as well.

Chuckling, John climbed off the bed, not bothering to pull on clothes. He was pretty sure the staff here was used to far more than a little nudity.

Moving into the kitchen, John discovered a well-dressed man quietly setting up the plates of food on the counter. He glanced up when he heard John, offering a welcoming smile. "Good evening, sir. I'll be finished in a moment. If you desire anything else, please don't hesitate to let me know and we'll get it over to you immediately."

Leaning against the door, John inhaled. "That smells wonderful. What dessert options do you have? Anything chocolate?"

"Of course. We have several options available tonight. We have a dark chocolate fondue with assorted fresh fruits. We have a special cheesecake with a mixed nut and chocolate topping. And we also have a white chocolate mousse." He worked easily as he explained, the food beautifully arranged and plated.

"The fondue." John didn't even need to hear the other options. "Can I have it brought here in, say, an hour?"

"Of course. For one or two?"

"Two. I'm not letting him have all the chocolate." John grinned at him.

"Very well, sir. I also noticed there was a note of no citrus on your room. We'll make sure the fruit is freshly cut and has not been near any citrus products." He finished with a nod to himself, before turning to John, his eyes up front and center, not even dropping for a glimpse. "Was there anything else, sir?"

"Thanks. My sub is allergic, and it could kill him. I appreciate you guys taking extra care." Smiling, he winked at the guy. "And I think that was it. Thanks again."

"My pleasure, sir. Did you require anything else? Any other toys or supplies?"

"Right now, no. I'll call down if I think of anything. The room is pretty well stocked."

"I know some of the larger pieces are only provided upon request, so I wanted to make sure you were aware of it."

Nodding, John quirked his lips. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Did you need a list or additional information?"

"If you've got a list I'll take one, but I've never really used any of the bigger items. I'll look it over later and see if there's anything that peaks my interest." From the bedroom, John heard his sub make a noise, trying to get his attention without actually speaking.

"I'll bring the list when I return with your dessert. It includes items such as the fuck chair and various metal cages and additional equipment which are not normally stocked in the rooms. It is available in limited quantities and wanted to make sure you, as one of our VIP guests, had access to it first." He bowed his head toward John before moving away. "I will return in one hour."

John grinned and walked back into the bedroom. "Dinner's here, and I ordered us chocolate fondue for dessert, which will be here in an hour."

Rodney had curled onto his side, looking small in the oversized bed.

Reaching out, John laced their fingers together. "Come with me."

He let John draw him up and off the bed, walking a step or two behind as they moved back into the kitchen and living area.

When they settled at the table, John fed his sub a few pieces of food, letting the silence wrap around them comfortably. Finally, though, he broke it. "They have some bigger pieces on demand. A fuck chair might be fun to try. They have cages, too."

Rodney's eyes widened and his eyebrows drew together in a question as he looked up at John from his position on the floor.

John shrugged. "A cage could be interesting, since it would help you stay down in headspace. And a fuck chair would just be fun."

Rodney didn't look convinced. His eyes widened again questioningly.

John fed him another bite of dinner. "I'm not really stuck on either one of those. It might be fun to try, but that's one thing we don't have to do."

He growled a little around the food, eyes fixed intently on John.

John raised an eyebrow.

Rodney raised a questioning eyebrow at him, making a small noise.

He had no clue what his lover was trying to say. "You may speak to ask whatever your question is."

Relief spread across Rodney's face. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I didn't want to…you know…speak out of turn because my ass is really rather sore and I'm not sure how much more I could take, but the cage thing…that…I'm not really interested in that at all. To be treated like a dog or something and locked up…We've been through enough of that and I still have nightmares about when we were sold as slaves and—"

John put a finger on his sub's lips to stop the flow of words. "Then we don't have to use it. Like I said, it's not anything I'm really intent on using, just a suggestion."

Rodney nodded, the relief nearly tangible. Okay. They'd found a definite "no" thing for Rodney.

John fed him another bite of food. "And the fuck chair? Are you interested in trying that?"

He paused, eyes open again in question, asking for permission to speak.

John nodded his okay.

Rodney licked his lips, finishing the bite of food and swallowing it down. He shifted a little on his knees, shoulder bumping against John's knee. "I really rather prefer you or the plugs or dildos, but I'd give it a try. I just…I wouldn't be comfortable if it was someone else fucking me."

"I don't plan to let anyone else touch you. You're mine, and I don't share."

He nodded. "I know, but this place is different and I know they share subs and I'm really not comfortable with that."

John caressed his lover's face. "No one else gets to touch you."

Rodney nodded and leaned into John. "Good. That's…good."

John leaned down, kissing his sub softly. "You'll always be mine, and mine alone."

Rodney moaned and opened up for John, deepening the kiss. One of his hands wrapped around John's calf, the other around John's opposite ankle.

They kissed for a while, breaking off every now and then for tiny bites of food.

The doorbell rang when they were in the middle of a deep kiss, Rodney moaning in complaint as John pulled away.

Chuckling, John rose, very aware that he was hard again and answering the door naked.

The attendant was standing quietly, a tray over his shoulder. "Dessert, sir."

Smiling, feeling his cheeks get a little hot, John nodded. "You can put it in the dining room, thanks."

"Of course, sir," he said not reacting to John's blush as he moved purposely into the dining room, setting up the tray on the sideboard a few paces away from where Rodney was kneeling.

John moved back over to his sub, sitting back down next to him. He reached out, needing to touch again.

Rodney shifted immediately, situating himself between John's legs as he watched the room service attendant clear the dinner dishes and set up dessert for them.

The attendant glanced over his shoulder at John even as he continued working. "I brought the list you requested, sir. Where would you like me to leave it?"

John guided Rodney's mouth to his groin, wanting to feel his sub's warm mouth around him again. His answer was a little breathless. "On the table is fine."

Rodney turned, taking John in his mouth eagerly, letting his eyes close. The small amount of tension that had been in his sub's frame immediately eased as soon as he was sucking on John.

The attendant nodded, drawing out the list and placing it on the table as he removed the empty plate and glass.

John ran his fingers through Rodney's hair. His sub wasn't really trying to get him off yet; he was just sucking for the pleasure of having John in his mouth. He glanced up when the attendant cleared his throat.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir. Did you wish to peruse the list now? I could make your requests and have the items to you within the hour."

He shook his head. "I'll look later, and decide if I want to request anything. I don't plan on using anything tonight anyway that I don't already have."

"Of course, sir," he said inclining his head respectfully. "Was there anything else you required?"

John gasped as Rodney teased the head of his dick. "N…no. That's all. Thank you."

"Very well. Should I lock the door on the way out?"

"Yes, please." John's eyes closed and his head fell back as he gave himself up to his lover.

The attendant was quiet as he left, John hearing the door click closed a moment later. Rodney was sucking his cock like a pro, just the way John liked it. He was humming and purring, content at his task.

John continued to pet him, finally pulling Rodney off slowly. "Dessert is here."

"Mmm… it is," Rodney whispered, eyes focused on John's cock. He licked his lips and shifted to envelop John once again.

With a half moan, half sigh, John let him suck for a few more minutes before pulling him off again. "We have chocolate. If you're good, I'll smear some on my cock and let you lick it off."

"Please," he moaned.

With a husky chuckle, John leaned in to kiss him briefly. "Go get the platter they brought for us and bring it over here."

Rodney deepened the kiss once again, rising up on his knees and pressing John back slightly.

They both moaned softly when John broke it. "Food. Go get it."

John saw the hesitation, his sub's desire to kiss John again, before Rodney finally rose to his feet. He padded over to the buffet, bringing the covered fondue pot first and returning with the tray of fruit a moment later. As soon as he let go of the tray, John's hands were on him.

He pulled his lover into his lap, kissing him deeply again, rewarding him for obeying.

Rodney moaned, his arms wrapping around John, trying to pull himself closer.

John let him, pulling him close, claiming his mouth.

They made out—hard and heavy—with panting and stroking and caressing, until they needed to come up for air. But even then, they were pressed together, lips still grazing each other as they breathed in each other air.

"Love you," John breathed it across his lover's lips.

"I know," Rodney replied, words desperate and needy. "Love you so much."

John eased his sub off his lap, and back down to his knees. Reaching over, he got a little bit of chocolate on his finger and dragged it over the head of his own erection, offering it to Rodney.

He didn't hesitate, licking at the head of John's cock with a pornographic moan and a happy noise.

When it was all gone, John smeared a little more for his lover, setting up a pattern.

Rodney had smears of chocolate on his cheeks and his nose, but he was so focused, so engrossed on what he was doing that he wasn't paying any attention to anything except his mouth on John's cock. John didn't want to say he was a like a puppy, but in some ways he was. He was so eager that he was nearly bouncing as John added more chocolate to his cock, barely able to wait for him to finish.

It made him smile, and they ran through the entire pot of chocolate that way, not even touching the fruit. As he got the last of it out, he smiled softly at his lover. "This is the end of the pot. Tomorrow, if you're good, maybe we can order more."

Rodney tilted his chocolate smeared face up at John, eyes wide and blown out with pleasure. Even without words, John knew he was pleading with him, begging him to do this again.

Leaning in, John licked away the smears. "Tomorrow we'll do this in the bedroom, and you can lick it off of more than just my cock."

Rodney moaned, leaning in toward John again, his eyes sliding shut.

"Lick away the last of it. Savor it."

After opening his eyes long enough to center himself, Rodney went down on John once again, swallowing him down. He sucked and tongued John's shaft, bobbing his head as he slowly worked John.

"Don't make me come. I want to fuck you again tonight." John whispered it softly.

Rodney moaned, stilling for a moment with John deep in his throat.

"I'm going to tie you down again and ride you hard. You'll be feeling it tomorrow, but you'll beg me to fuck you again and again, won't you?"

He whimpered and nodded the best he could with his mouth still wrapped around John.

"My beautiful bottom..." John let all his affection and love come through in his voice. "You've been so good today. Take as long as you want, sucking on me. Just don't make me come, and when you're done, rest your head on my thigh and I'll take you in and fuck you."

Rodney actually looked torn and John had to try to hold in his laugh. God, could his man be any more of a bottom?

He traced a finger over the other man's cheek. "You'll be allowed to suck me again tomorrow, and you will be fucked, more than once, tomorrow as well."

He moaned quietly in contentment, slowly beginning to suck once again. John pet his sub softly, running his fingers through his hair, needing to touch him right now. With his eyes closed, Rodney's eyelashes were long as they lay on his cheeks, dark against his light skin.

This was so quietly intimate. John was relaxed, aroused, and he realized he could stay here all night and be a happy man.

Breathing through his nose, Rodney simply went to town. He drew John to the edge and then backed him off over and over again, wringing every drop of pleasure from him without even making him come.

John felt completely boneless. He was sprawled in the chair, legs spread wide, just letting Rodney have his way.

It was probably a good hour before Rodney slowed, eventually releasing John from his mouth and resting his head on John's thigh. His eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily, his hands splayed over his own thighs, resting there.

"Nnngh."

Rodney was quiet, his breathing evening out. He shifted closer a few moments later, settling into one of his favorite spots when he was on his knees like this, pressed in right against John's groin.

John continued to pet him slowly, lazily, feeling blissed out despite not having come again.

He felt his sub let out a long breath, the gust of air drifting across his cock. The sound of the ocean could easily be heard now, the waves hitting the beach and then receding, only to do it over and over again.

It was only the knowledge that Rodney's knees and back were probably starting to ache, and he didn't want to cripple his lover this early in the vacation that finally got John moving. He slowly sat up, letting his hand drift down over Rodney's shoulders. "Why don't we take this to the bedroom where we'll both be more comfortable?"

Rodney nodded, humming softly, letting John pull him to his feet, melting against him when they were both upright.

With lots of kisses and caresses, John got them both moved into the bedroom, arranging his sub on the bed and locking him into place. He didn't necessarily need Rodney tied down to fuck him again, but he also knew the other man would stay deeper in headspace if he did.

Rodney rolled his head to the side, his eyes heavy with arousal and contentment, watching John and smiling softly.

Using his mouth, John worked his way down Rodney's body, indulging himself in the taste and smell of his lover, best friend, and submissive.

Rodney gave up his moans of pleasure easily, his body arching into every touch. He was so beautiful like this, so open, so trusting.

The long, slow build-up had brought John to the edge of his willpower again, so he couldn't spend as long as he really wanted tasting. Tomorrow maybe. Instead, he got the lube and a new plug, slipping the one Rodney was currently wearing out, and sliding home to his cock's favorite place in two galaxies.

Rodney groaned, clenching down for a brief moment before he relaxed fully, letting John slide in deeply. His lips were mouthing words, benedictions and exclamations mingling in his silent symphony which was only broken with a soft moan when it became too much.

It was perfect. John slid in and out slowly, letting Rodney's body caress him. "Love you, oh, Rodney, love you so much..."

"John…" he moaned, his breath catching in his throat as John brushed against his prostate.

Almost before he really wanted to, John was coming. It was almost languid, and so fucking good. He pulled out slowly, pushing in the new plug, before curling along Rodney's side.

His sub was trembling, breathing heavily. He was arching into John's body, into wherever their skin was touching.

"Shhhh. I'll let you come tomorrow, I promise. You're so good, so beautiful…"

"Please," he whimpered, tugging at the bonds holding his hands above his head.

"No, love. Not today."

Rodney sobbed quietly, eyes tightly closed. If anything, the tremors were increasing as his sub got himself worked up.

John rubbed small circles on Rodney's chest, making sure to avoid his nipples or any other erogenous zone. He pressed light kisses to his sub's shoulder. "Shhh. Just relax and let go. Your body is mine, and I decide when you come or not. Today you're not coming—but tomorrow I'm going to make you come so much your dick will ache."

He tugged a few more times at the restraints, trying to shift on the bed, trying to move. With another whimper, Rodney finally let go again, releasing the tension that had built, allowing John to bring him back down, allowing John to comfort him and help him.

"Good boy, so good. My Rodney, my sub. Love you so much..."

It took a good ten minutes before Rodney stopped trembling and finally opened his eyes, focusing in on John. They were mostly pupil except for the small ring of shocking-bright blue around the edge. He licked his lips, his tongue lingering a little in the corners of his mouth where the skin was a little red.

John used his own tongue to soothe the cuts. He decided he would leave the gag off for the rest of the night, giving that skin time to recover. He knew they would use it again, so for times like now, it was worth it to let Rodney have a break.

Rodney turned his head, pressing his lips to John's in a lazy kiss.

They kissed for a long time, John not letting it get hot or heavy. He wanted it light, wanted it relaxed and soft.

John's hands were sure and firm, stroking over Rodney's cheeks, down his sides. Every now and then Rodney would obviously forget he was secured and tug at the restraints as he tried to reach for John, coming up short. But tonight, unless he needed a bathroom break, they weren't coming off. Today it was about Rodney letting go, about him not being in control, about submitting fully and willingly to whatever John wanted. And right now, he wanted his sub tied to his bed for him to pleasure and take at his will.

"Close your eyes and just let me love you. Don't fight sleep. Don't fight drifting off. Just let me take care of you."

He moaned quietly, nuzzling at John, trying to caress with his chin and cheeks since his hands and legs were secured.

"Shhhh," John repeated. "Tomorrow I'll let you touch me again as much as you want. But not tonight."

"Please…" he whispered, words ghosting over John's skin.

John captured his mouth in another kiss, once more backing off each time Rodney tried to deepen it, keeping it light, soft.

But Rodney was persistent tonight, trying over and over again to deepen the kisses, to touch John. It wasn't until exhaustion finally started setting in that he began to back off, as his body slowly got the softness John associated with Rodney asleep. He was fighting it, John could tell, but his resistance was weakening as the day finally caught up with him.

John continued to caress and kiss, gentling his touches even more.

When Rodney finally stopped kissing him back, John gave him a last final light kiss before shifting up on one elbow, watching as his sub finally gave in to sleep. His breathing evened out, offering quiet puffs of air that weren't quite snores.

John watched him for a while, smiling gently, before he finally lay back down, drifting off into his own sated, dreamless sleep.

***

Rodney woke slowly, his body languid and lazy. He shifted on the bed in an attempt to roll over onto his side, but was pinned in place. It took a long moment for him to realize the problem: he was still tied to the bed and John was mostly covering him, sleeping soundly, pressing on his bladder.

That would become a problem sooner rather than later, but he was okay for the moment.

Albeit, his muscles were sore in ways that reminded him of everything John had done to him the day before, the way his dom had taken him apart before putting him back together piece by piece, refusing to be bowled over by Rodney's force of will.

It still surprised him, though. The love and care and time that John spent on him, the way he touched him—hard and soft, firm and gentle—refusing to give in, refusing to let Rodney have his way.

Taking away his ability to speak all day was hard, so hard. It had scared him at first, John taking away something so vital to his survival, to who he was. But he trusted John, trusted him with his life.

And then there had been the bondage. Strict. Tight. Unforgiving. And continuous. Even now, he was still bound, tied to the bed. It had been perfect. Anything less and it wouldn't have been enough to drop him, to push him into his headspace. Honestly, John could have probably added more and it still would have been okay.

The paddling and the no orgasm thing, however, had hurt. But it had been that control, that pain, that had really made the difference. Without it, John would have had a difficult time breaking down his barriers. For as much as Rodney had wanted to do this, being here and thinking about it were two different things.

Consequences and problems and possible outcomes were too easy to imagine once they were here. And then Daniel's words had kept running through his mind. He didn't want to lose John, didn't want to be the cause of any problems for his lover.

But John had been strong, just as Rodney knew he'd be. He'd been the perfect dom, the perfect top. He hadn't stopped, hadn't given in, had instead demanded that Rodney rise to the occasion and release control—even over the most basic things like bodily functions and speech and sight and sound. John had left him no options except to accept what was given to him as the gift it was meant to be.

Here, like this, Rodney could finally let himself feel and be nothing more than a submissive, here to exist for the pleasure of his master. Here he was no longer a scientist, no longer the cause of so many deaths or injuries. Nothing more than pleasure was in his hands. No responsibilities. No worries. He was a sensual being, caught up in the pleasure of his master.

Here, like this, he was free.

His top snuffled in his shoulder softly, shifting against him, but not waking up yet.

He just hoped John was okay, that he'd gotten everything he'd wanted out of it. That was the only thing that worried him now. He needed to know that his lover, his top, was happy and cared for.

"Mmmm."

Rodney wasn't sure if he was allowed to talk yet so he hummed quietly, shifting a little. He gasped as his still-tender ass rubbed against the sheets.

That made John lift his head, blinking sleepily. "M'rning."

He offered his top a soft smile, wanting to kiss the sleep away, but unable to reach.

John's hand drifted down Rodney's chest, to curl loosely around his morning erection, still encased in the decorative metal.

"Oh," he said softly, trying not to arch into John's touch. But it felt so good and he needed to come so badly.

"Mmm, still nice and hard for me. Good boy. Need to pee before I take this any further?"

Rodney nodded. "Yes, sir," he answered quietly. "And…other stuff." He felt his cheeks flush as he admitted it. For some reason this kind of stuff made him uncomfortable—but in a "this is weird and private" way, more so that having John's cock up his ass or in his mouth or…

His top chuckled, stretching up to start unlocking the straps. "You can take the plug out when you get in there. I don't want you to have to walk across the room with my come dripping out. Just leave it on the counter in there, and when you're done, come back out."

"You want…" Rodney started only to break off. "I thought you said you didn't want me touching myself at all."

"To just pee, no. But I also know you get embarrassed to do anything else with me there. I don't want to humiliate you."

"But you said…" Rodney began again, letting his voice drop away. He was arguing with John even though he agreed with him.

John's fingers curled around his face. "Rodney. I'd prefer to go in with you and not allow you to touch anything yourself. To keep your hands locked in place so you didn't have the choice. But I also want you to feel relaxed and happy, and I know that when you need to take care of other business, it makes you uncomfortable to have me there."

"It's just…weird."

"What is? Having me there, or not having me there?"

Rodney glanced away, the unsettling feeling finally coalescing. "Both. And then you would have changed what you said. So does that mean that I won't be allowed to come today, too?"

John's thumb stroked along his jaw, then forced him to look back at his top. "The only reason I was willing to allow it was because I thought it would make you more comfortable. However, since it's not, I'm rescinding the order." He pulled both of Rodney's hands in front of his body, then locked the cuffs together.

He felt a brief thrill race through his body as soon as he heard the lock click into place. His eyes dropped down to his secured hands before rising again to meet his top's gaze. "I…" He licked his lips. "I didn't mean to argue with you, but if one thing changed, it could mean that the other things had changed, too, and you had promised—"

John leaned in and captured his mouth in a soft kiss. "I wasn't going back on my promise. I was just trying to make you more comfortable. Yes, you will still be coming so much today your dick will ache, and I plan to give you a block of time to touch me as much as you want."

"It aches already," he whispered, hands trying to grasp at John.

Smiling, his top slid off the bed, and reached out to help Rodney do the same. As they came together, he wrinkled his nose slightly. "We both reek. After we take care of business, we're going to shower."

"I don't smell anything."

"I do. Granted, it's mostly sex and sweat, but we'll both feel better after a hot shower."

"But these are leather…" Rodney said, holding up his hands.

"I'll switch them out. I think today you're going to wear the metal ones with the matching collar that we brought. I'll put the leather ankle cuffs back on you once we're clean." John walked over to where they had left their own small pile of toys from home, picking out the set he wanted.

"They don't have other metal sets?" Rodney asked, pointing to the closet.

John raised an eyebrow. "You don't get to be demanding. I'm admittedly indulgent when it comes to you, but you can only push me so far, buddy. Just relax and take what I give you."

Rodney's eyes widened. "I…I'm not being demanding. I'm just saying that if there are other metal sets you wouldn't have to take them off every time I got wet."

John walked over, setting the new collar and cuffs on the bed. He didn't reply while he changed out first the collar—which was wider and slightly tighter than his usual one—and then changed out the cuffs one at a time, before locking them back together. Then Rodney got another sweet kiss. "Go into the bathroom and wait for me."

With a flutter in his stomach, Rodney nodded. "Yes, sir."

John wasn't far behind him, although Rodney couldn't see what he had. "Close your eyes, and keep them closed until I tell you otherwise."

With a thick swallow, Rodney nodded, closing his eyes as he stood in the middle of the large bathroom. He could feel John moving around him, but he hadn't touched him yet. And he really needed to take care of business…

He felt the cuffs slide off his upper arms, followed by the ones around his ankles. And then, to his surprise, something tight wrapped around each ankle. It wasn't uncomfortable, and it wasn't leather, but without opening his eyes he couldn't tell what it was.

"What…" he asked, trying to resist the urge to look.

A finger ghosted over his lips, silencing him. It was followed by another strip of what felt like the same material as the ankle cuffs being wrapped around his eyes.

He trembled, trusting John but also wanting to know what he was using, what he was doing. His top had stepped away from him again. Rodney could hear him fiddling with something, but the urge to use the bathroom was quickly approaching critical. "John," he started softly. "I have to go. Please."

"I know. I'm getting ready for you now." John's voice was amused, and soft. After another moment, Rodney was guided to move, his hands raised above his head, and then hooked on to something. He could tell he had a little leeway to move up or down, but that was about it.

"John…please. I have to go. I can't do it from here."

"You're right in front of the toilet." A hand around his cock guided it, presumably aiming. "After you pee, I'll sit you down to take care of the rest."

Rodney whimpered, but nodded. The plug wouldn't let him do anything, but he really did have to go.

As soon as he was done with that, he felt John clean him off, then the plug was slowly withdrawn. He was turned and pushed down, the give in the straps holding his arms just enough to let his ass touch the toilet seat—and no more.

"John…" he whispered, only to have his top's finger touch his lips again.

"Do what you need to while I start the shower. I'll be right here, so just tell me when you're done."

Rodney nodded, feeling his cheeks flush red even as his body overrode his embarrassment. He listened as John moved around the bathroom, setting up for their shower, running the water. The warm, moist air filled the room, a hint of tropical flowers blowing in with it. It didn't take him long to finish and John was thorough and gentle as he cleaned him up.

And then he was led again and guided into the shower. John had to be blocking the water itself, since Rodney didn't get hit with a face full of water. His top turned him, pressing him against the wall, hands above his head again.

Rodney heard a click and then John was stepping away from him, his hands locked above his head. He tugged once and then again, moaning a little as he felt some of his awareness slide away, felt himself sliding easily into headspace once again.

His lover purred, and then a soft, soapy washcloth was running over his body, dipping into his intimate places, cleaning away any traces of anything but John.

John's hands were sure and firm, caressing as he cleaned. Along with the sweat and dirt and semen, he washed away the few pieces of worry that had grown in his mind overnight.

Instead of unhooking him from the wall, John encouraged Rodney to cross his arms so his back was now against the wall. His front was cleaned with the same gentle care, and then, without warning, a hot mouth and clever tongue were tracing the lines of the metal curving around his erection.

"Oh…John…" Rodney breathed, arching a little into his lover's mouth. He was so sensitive, so needy.

A deep chuckle reverberated all around him. "Try to hold back as long as you can, but you're allowed to come whenever you want."

"Oh god," he said, body trembling. It wasn't going to take long—or much—to get him to fall over the edge. He was barely hanging on as it was.

But John knew how to play him. He seemed to know exactly when and how to back off, dragging it out, sending Rodney's body higher and higher.

He moaned and begged, pleaded for just that little bit more that would send him over the edge.

And then John took him all the way, deep. And swallowed.

Rodney howled and came and came and came until he swore he was losing all his brain cells in one fell swoop. He felt his knees buckle, body tugging at the restraints, the only thing that kept him upright. Black and white spots danced before his eyes as he gasped and trembled.

John continued to suck until Rodney's body was jerking with the aftershocks. Then he switched to light, almost delicate licking, once more tracing the curves of metal.

Every touch of John's tongue sent sparks through his body. He was panting, trying to catch his breath, his shoulders feeling the strain as he hung there, limp and sated.

With a few more swipes of his tongue, John stood up, their bodies sliding together. His erection was poking Rodney in the thigh as his top claimed his mouth for a hot, possessive kiss.

Rodney had no choice but to hang on, moaning wantonly into John's mouth as their tongues slid together. But John didn't want half-way today. His hands gripped Rodney's head and he ground them together, plundering his mouth with an intensity and focus Rodney rarely saw. The strength and possessiveness just turned him on more and even though his cock was spent, he rubbed against him, wanting more.

John broke the kiss with a bite to Rodney's lip, and then he turned him. Rodney didn't have any chance to anticipate before his top was sliding inside him, taking him.

He was so relaxed and turned on that he simply hung there, letting John fuck him hard against the wall. It felt so good like this, felt good to have John taking his pleasure like this.

It didn't take long before Rodney felt the rush of heat that meant John was coming. His lover melted against him, breathing hard for a few long minutes before slowly taking back his weight. "Mmmm. So good."

Rodney was panting, his cock already half-way hard from John's fuck. "John…please…"

John just hummed again and pulled out slowly. Rodney felt the washcloth again, cleaning away the traces of John from his body before a large plug was pushed back inside him. "You'll get to come again. Just not right now."

Banging his forehead against the wall, Rodney moaned in frustration as the cock ring tightened down around him.

And then it started to buzz, once more sending little fissions of pleasure all the way down his length.

What little coherence he had quickly fled as his knees buckled once again, hard trembles running through his body. "John…oh god, John, please…"

Behind him, he heard the water shut off, and then his hands were released from the wall, only to be very gently pulled back behind him, once more locked together. He was turned, and John slipped a finger through the O-ring on the collar, tugging him forward.

"John, please," he begged, surprised his legs were able to hold him. "It's too much, please…" he panted, moaning as another harder shudder rolled through his body.

"No, it's not. You'll take it because I want you to. And you won't come until I'm ready for you to." His top's voice held nothing except conviction, command. He wasn't asking, or open to have his mind changed. He was in charge.

Rodney shivered for a different reason this time, his arousal growing even as he felt his mind dropping a little more into headspace. But that didn't stop him from begging, pleading. "It is. Please, John. I can't—"

"I wasn't going to gag you again today—at least not right away—but I will if you can't stop yourself from asking for what I've already told you no to."

"But John…" he whimpered, his body trembling harder once again.

He felt his top stop moving, and then he was kissed hard and fast before a ball gag, this one a little smaller than the one he had worn yesterday, was locked into place.

He moaned, tugging at the cuffs holding his hands behind his back. The vibrations increased another two steps and he whimpered as his knees buckled, the sensations running through his entire body. John's hands caught him and tugged him back to his feet. There was no apology in his voice, only that tone of command that made even more chills run through him.

"You will stay standing until I tell you otherwise. I want to admire you, and I want full access to your body. Do not move."

Rodney whimpered again, nodding, trying to keep his body from flying apart. It was too much and too good.

John made possessive little purrs, and from the sound of it was stalking around Rodney. "Perfect. So perfect. I want to see you fall apart for me."

He whined, panting around the gag. He couldn't do this. It was too much. He was skating on the edge of arousal and panic, both vying for dominance.

And then John's hands were on his body, stroking him, caressing him. His top whispered in and nibbled on his ear. "You're beautiful. I can see every tremble, every spark of pleasure that goes through you. It makes me want to lick you all over, hold you close, fuck you hard."

Rodney leaned into John's hands, into his touch, needing the contact to ground him. He needed John to hold him together.

He was pulled flush with John's body, his back to John's front, while hands roamed, caressing, fondling him. Lips pressed into his neck, kissing softly. "I love you so much."

Tilting his head to the side, Rodney offered up his neck to John. His bound hands, however, found something else much more interesting: John's cock.

From the hitched breath and the stutter of hips, he knew his top wasn't unhappy with this development.

It was awkward, but Rodney didn't care. He stroked him as best as he could, running his thumb along the head.

"Mmmm, so good. You want to touch me, don't you? And I did promise you could. So I'll give you a choice. I can free your hands now and let you touch me for a while, or you can save it for later in the day."

Rodney shrugged, his ragged, panting breaths finally calming as his body adjusted to the sensations, as he gave himself into them. Whatever John wanted.

John pulled away, turning Rodney and leading him somewhere. The bed, since his knees bumped it. The blindfold was pulled off, and John was smiling softly at him.

His stomach, of course, picked that moment to rumble.

John's lips quirked. "Hungry?"

Rodney nodded, feeling his cheeks flush a little. Coffee would be good, too.

John leaned in to kiss his forehead, reaching around to unlock his hands. "I'll call room service and have something sent up. Get comfortable on the bed, and don't touch yourself."

Letting his hands fall to his sides, Rodney watched John stride from the room. It took him a long moment before he obeyed, climbing up onto the bed and settling in the middle. He pulled his legs up toward his chest and planted his hands on the bed beside him. As an afterthought, he shifted to the side so he could reach behind his head, fingering the padlock behind his head. Yeah, not coming off without the key.

Settling back into place, he used the time to look around the room and to examine the thick rubber cuffs around his ankles. He was actually surprised John hadn't added thigh cuffs or an additional set of cuffs around his upper arms like he had the other day.

John strode back in a few minutes later, his lean body catching the morning sun streaming in from the windows.

Rodney didn't shift his gaze, letting his eyes trail up and down his top's body.

Pausing in the middle of the room, John spread his arms a little, letting Rodney look his fill. "Like what you see?"

There was no hesitation to Rodney's affirmative nod. John was still sex on legs. Of course he liked what he saw.

His love grinned, moving over with a sexy sway to his hips. "I want your hands on my body. I want to feel you worship me. Show me how much you like what you see."

Rodney's eyes widened. Now?

John scooted up on the bed, stretching out. "The gag isn't coming off. I'll let you use your mouth on me later. Right now, I just want to feel you touch me. You have until breakfast gets here."

But… Rodney moaned in complaint.

John chuckled. "I'll give you more time later, too. I like having you touch me."

He made another small noise of complaint and pointed to the gag.

John shook his head. "No, you don't get to use your mouth right now. You can taste me later. Right now is just for touching."

Rodney let his head drop down, chin hitting his chest as he whimpered. He wanted it off. He wanted to taste, lick, kiss…

John's hand came up to caress his face. "You will get that, just later. I promise. Right now I want to feel your hands on my body, and if I take off the gag, you'll get distracted from that."

He shook his head. No, he wouldn't get distracted. It would be better.

"This isn't up for debate."

After a moment, he nodded. Setting his shoulders in a stubborn line, he finally moved toward John. There was more than one way to go about this and he was a genius.

His top stretched out again, hands above his head, closing his eyes.

Rodney touched him, dragging fingers and nails against his skin, avoiding every possible erogenous zone he knew. He kept his touches light, knowing it would drive John crazy.

John arched into it, humming softly.

Every time John would shift upward, looking for more sensation, Rodney would pull back his hand, making sure he was grazing the skin with the barest of pressure. He was touching, but could technically be told he was splitting hairs about it.

Slitting his eyes open, John raised an eyebrow. "Having fun?" He was more than a little breathless.

Rodney shrugged, eyes looking for the next spot to "touch".

John's chuckle was husky, but he didn't make any move to stop Rodney from what he was doing.

He continued, barely touching the skin and hair along John's calves, moving down to his feet. He couldn't think of anything un-sexier than that.

To his irritation, John was hard, and didn't show any indication of flagging. His top just relaxed into the bed with a contented sigh.

Rodney grumbled to himself as he shifted to focus on John's toes.

The big toe waved at him.

He ignored it, heading for the pinkie toe.

John chuckled again.

Rodney sighed, glaring at his lover before going back to his mission, his plan.

"I'm not taking the gag off, you know." John was almost conversational. "And I enjoy this kind of touching as much as any other. So the only person you're really depriving of anything is yourself."

Rodney ignored the comment. He wasn't disobeying John. He was following the letter of the law, so to speak—just treading at the very edge of insubordination. He knew the difference.

A minute later, there was a knock at the door, and John sat up. Before Rodney could stop him, both hands were pulled behind his back and once more locked together before John sauntered over to let the wait staff in with breakfast.

With a frustrated sigh, Rodney let his body fall to the side before rolling onto his stomach. John hadn’t told him not to move and he was comfortable like this. He listened as John talked to the person who'd brought their food, his stomach rumbling again.

He didn't hear his top return, so the hard smack to his ass took him by surprise.

He yelped trying to shift his weight so he could roll away from the edge of the bed.

But strong hands held him in place, as several more smacks landed on his sensitive flesh.

Various noises of surprise, hurt, and complaint found their way past the gag as he tried to get away from the pain of his already sore ass.

John's hand turned to caresses, teasing at his crack. "You're fighting me and trying to get your own way. That's not going to happen. I know you need to eat, but the gag isn't coming off until you submit to me."

He stilled immediately, panting around the gag, pressing his forehead into the bed.

The hand traveled up his back, smoothing circles against his muscles. "You belong to me. Your body, your soul, it's all mine. The more you fight me and try to rebel, the less pleasure you'll get while we're here. Submit."

"I am!" is what he wanted to say, but he couldn't. He was listening, obeying, submitting. What more did John want?

"Relax. You're muscles are tense, and you're trying to think too much about everything. You want me to do things your way, but you need to accept that it will be my way this week. Period. No room for negotiation."

"It's always your way. I always accept it. I just have some…suggestions," Rodney thought to himself, unable to voice the words. He huffed a little instead.

John continued to stroke his back. "I can practically hear all the things you wish you could say right now. But I'm willing to bet none of them are 'Yes, John, whatever you say' are they?"

Rodney snorted again, trying to shift his legs so he could get off a rather annoying pile of blankets and sheets that was making one of his hips higher than the other and putting a slight strain on his back.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." John sighed. "I'll be in having breakfast. When you're ready to submit to me—and not just your body, but your mind, too—come join me and I'll feed you."

He waited until John walked out of the bedroom before shifting on the bed, finding a much more comfortable position that didn't involve hard knots of blankets. With a sigh, he closed his eyes, trying to ignore his hunger. Just because he was hungry didn't mean he had to eat immediately; he just liked to keep it regular. There were no odd symptoms of anything so he had plenty of time.

A few more small movements and he was really comfortable, sighing in contentment as he relaxed into the bed. He could smell their scent on the sheets. It reminded him of home and he hummed quietly, letting his mind drift a bit, thinking about Atlantis. There wasn't any urgency to these thoughts, just the musings he never usually let himself have about the city, its history, and those who had come before.

He always wondered if the city was really sentient. Sometimes he swore it was—especially when it came to Sheppard—and other times it was just a mass of circuits and crystals and metal. What had it seen? Experienced?

He sighed again around the gag, relaxing again in millimeters, tugging on his bound hands.

Rubbing his cheek against the sheets as he tried to scratch an itch, he snuffed into the bed a little, his brain downshifting. He was comfortable. It was quiet. The waves outside were hypnotic, giving him the white noise he needed to unclench his muscles. He felt himself drifting, halfway between sleep and awake, mind skimming across thoughts.

Atlantis. Jeannie. Ancient circuit relays. Childhood. Carson. ZPMs. Area 51. Sam. Wormhole physics. John. Puddlejumper improvements. Siberia. Antarctica. His cat. The vastness of the Ancient database.

"Rodney?" John's voice was soft, and sounded a little sad.

"Mmm?" he hummed softly, slowly.

"Are you going to come eat? You have to be hungry."

Hungry? Hmm. Maybe. He half shrugged, humming a little.

His top sat next to him on the bed. "Feeling more relaxed than you were before?"

Rodney opened an eye, gazing up at John for a long moment before he nodded. Relaxed. Yes. More relaxed was an affirmative.

"Good." John smiled slightly, running a finger down Rodney's face. "Ready to come in and let me feed you now?"

He blinked once.

"Come on. I don't want you getting sick because you didn't eat."

Rodney didn't protest—and didn't help either—as John helped him sit up and then tugged him to his feet. With a finger through the ring on his collar, John pulled him forward and Rodney went easily, feeling a little disconnected. Huh. Maybe he'd dropped into subspace.

When they got into the dining room, there was already a cushion waiting beside one of the chairs, obviously the one John intended to use, as the food was right next to it—a selection of tropical fruits, along with cheese and bread.

John settled him onto the cushion, letting his hand cup his cheek, tilting his head up.

"I love you; don't forget that. When you think I'm being harsh, I'm only doing it because I'm giving you what I think you need, not necessarily what you think you want."

He blinked once and then rolled his eyes. He knew John loved him.

That earned him a faint smile. "I know you know that. But sometimes I think you believe I push you because I can, and you forget that I do it because I want to help you."

He shook his head. No. He knew John did it because he meant well.

John snorted, sitting down in his chair. "I'm going to take the gag out now to feed you. You're allowed to talk between bites, but you aren't allowed to say 'But John' or any variation of said phrase. Understand?"

Rodney rolled his eyes and nodded. Understood, sir.

Leaning in, John unlocked the gag and pulled it free, setting it aside on the table.

Licking his lips, Rodney cleared his throat. "I know you love me. I know you only want what's best for me."

Soft fingers trailed along his face. "I know. But when you fight me just for the sake of fighting me, I have to wonder sometimes if you remember that."

"I wasn't, really," Rodney said with a sigh, letting his eyes close for a moment. "I didn't mean to. Sometimes my brain just…it sometimes goes into high gear and then it doesn't want to shut off. It's like it has a mind of its own or something. I can't explain it. Fighting you is the only way to…" He shrugged, rolling his eyes again. "I guess it's the only way to get you to help me slow it down."

John huffed a small laugh. "I know. But I wanted to make sure you did, too." He reached over to select a strawberry, pressing it against Rodney's lips.

Rodney took a bite, his eyes fixed on John's. He chewed the bite he'd taken and licked his lips. "I'm not trying to upset you."

"I know you aren't, buddy. You're really doing well. I'm asking a lot of you this week."

"And I wanted it. I asked for it, asked for more than you wanted to do in the first place."

"Never. I always want to give you everything." John leaned in, brushing their mouths together. "I just want to see you relaxed and happy. I like having you pliant beneath me, seeing your eyes shine with nothing except pleasure."

"And I'm not going to object to pleasure, John. You should know that by now."

"Mmm. good. So instead of fighting me the rest of the day, and forcing me to gag you so I can't kiss this pretty mouth as much as I really want to, why don't we try just having you say 'Yes, John' when I ask you to do something, whether it's what you really think you want or not, hmm?"

Rodney's mouth twisted in a smirk. "Maybe."

John raised an eyebrow, although one corner of his mouth twisted. "Maybe?"

"Maybe."

"What does your 'maybe' hinge on?"

Rodney smirked again. "I'm not sure yet."

Leaning back in his chair, John selected a piece of fruit for himself, eating it slowly as he kept his eyes on Rodney. "Well, how am I supposed to know if I want to play, if I don't know what the prize is?"

"Do you think it won't be good? If that's the case, maybe we should just stop now."

"Oh, I know it will be good. I just have to decide how much effort I want to put into obtaining it." John smirked right back at him. "After all, I can always take the option of chaining you to the bed and leaving you there all day."

"You could. It's always an option," Rodney said with a nod.

John nudged a foot between Rodney's legs and started fondling his balls. "What are my other options? You are my pet genius after all."

He moaned, rolling his eyes once he managed to catch his breath. "It really depends on what you have in mind, I guess. I don't know all the options that are available in the house. You're the one who's wandered around."

"Well," John looked thoughtful, although his toes didn't stop what they were doing. "My plan for the day was to make out with you for a while, let you touch me, then maybe go surfing while I tie you to the beach chair for a bit. And then when I got done, I was going to have you blow me for as long as you could manage to drag it out—hours if possible, with me in your mouth. After that, dinner, and I'd fuck you again slow and deep, until you were sure you could taste me again in the back of your throat."

"Hmm. I don't know."

"What part are you questioning?" John's big toe pressed further back, scraping along Rodney's perineum.

Rodney groaned, his eyes closing as sensations rolled through him. "All…all of it. Seems…" He shuddered again as John's toe rubbed a little harder. "Seems…like a…normal…normal day."

"Oh?"

He nodded. "Yes, oh," he said, the last word tumbling into another moan.

"What part of that sounds like a normal day to you?"

John backed off enough so Rodney could answer. "Making out…fucking…little touching…" He shrugged.

"Maybe that's what I'm in the mood for today. I want to enjoy my sub."

"What happened to making me come so much my dick hurt?"

"You didn't really think I was going to tell you everything I planned to do, did you?"

"I'm just saying that there are a veritable cornucopia of stuff you could be using on me or doing to me."

"So if you had your way, what would our day look like?"

"Fucking…there would be fucking. Blow jobs, too. Kissing. Kissing is always a good thing." Rodney paused, looking up at John. "Maybe trying some different positions. Different ways to tie me—even if was just to see how it looked or felt. Trying out some of the other rooms in the house and some of the other toys. Experimenting."

"How is that different from what I had in mind?"

"Very different."

"Not really. I just gave you a bare bones outline. The only difference was that I don't get to surf in yours."

"So how am I supposed to judge something if you don't give me all of the pertinent details?"

"It's more fun to surprise you with some things. If you know everything, you think too much and try to anticipate me."

"There are ways to stop me from thinking."

John made a rueful face. "And so far the ones I've tried haven't worked very well, have they? I can get you down briefly, but I can't keep you down."

"And why do you think that's the case?"

His top sighed. "I wish I knew. If I did, you'd be so far down you wouldn't care what we did, or how we did it."

"Maybe we need to change some tactics."

"Maybe. But when I've tried to be more firm with you, you either fight me, or pop right back up as soon as possible."

"So, let's take a step back and determine what has worked. You know, scientifically." Rodney shifted on his knees.

John chuckled. "Always the scientist, eh?"

Rodney shrugged. "You can take the scientist out of the lab…"

"All right, so break it down for me. What worked well for you? What didn't?"

"What worked well…" Rodney said, letting the thought percolate. "When you were the strictest, the most firm. Your…tone…made me shiver. Anything less than total control made it hard to let go."

John nodded. "You fell fast and hard, but then came right back up when I went a little less firm."

"It was hard to let go this time."

"Why?"

Rodney shrugged, shaking his head as he chewed the next bite of breakfast John fed him. "I really don’t know. I wish I could say it was something specific..." But there was something now that he thought of it. But he didn't want to upset John so it was easier to just not mention it.

His top was watching him closely. "You're holding something back. Tell me."

He felt his eyes widen a little. "What do you mean?"

"You have a look when you know something and you don't want to tell me. You just got it." John's eyes narrowed. "You will tell me. You'll stay right here, on your knees, until you do."

Rodney glanced away, letting out a sigh.

"Rodney…"

"I’m just…I just worry. And I can't help but think about what could happen if someone found out about us and about what we do."

"We're safe here, Rodney. You have to trust me on that."

"I do."

"No, no you don't. Not entirely. If you did you wouldn't be fighting your headspace."

Rodney ducked his head, feeling his face flush with shame and embarrassment. As usual, John was right. If he trusted him he'd be in headspace and staying there. It wasn't fair to John that he was continuing to fight him.

"I'm sorry." John actually slipped from the chair down to his knees in front of Rodney, pulling him in for a kiss. "I didn't mean to make you unhappy."

"You're right. I didn't realize it until now. But I do worry…you know that though."

John pressed kisses all over his face. "How can I fix it, so you can slip under and be comfortable again?"

"I…I don't know. I just want you to be happy."

"You make me happy."

Rodney leaned into his top, letting John support some of his weight. "Can we just start again?"

John shifted so he was sitting flat on the floor, pulling Rodney firmly against himself, into his arms. "Yes."

"Okay," Rodney whispered, cuddling in close. He felt better already, his body even looser than before.

Fingers danced over his body in barely-there caresses. Rodney felt his top shift, and then a strawberry was pressed to his lips while the other hand continued to pet him.

Rodney ate it, chewing carefully. He let his eyes close knowing John would tell him what he wanted him to do.

They stayed like that for a while, on the floor together. John had never fed him like this, while he was being held close, pressing kisses into Rodney's hair and along his jaw between bites.

It was exactly what he needed—the comfort, the closeness.

Finally, instead of more food, it was John's thumb that brushed his lips. After a moment, he pressed it inside, swiping it over Rodney's tongue.

Rodney moaned, shifting closer as he started sucking on John's thumb, humming around it. It tasted like cheese and fruit and food and John.

His top slowly fucked his mouth with his thumb; Rodney forgot John had a second hand until it suddenly wrapped around his cock, stroking slowly to the same rhythm.

With the metal coil gone, John's hand felt amazing. Rodney moaned, wriggling against his top. The cock ring made sure he couldn't come until John was ready.

Soft breath tickled his ear. "So beautiful. You're perfect in every way."

Rodney moaned again, trapped between John's hands.

"I promised you were going to come so much today your dick would ache. I always keep my promises." John's thumb swiped across the head of Rodney's cock, smearing the pre-come and lubricating the glide of skin on skin.

He rocked forward, only ending up fucking himself in John's hand, upping the sensations raging through his body. It felt so good and was too much at the same time. Doing it like this—sitting on the floor in the kitchen in his tops arms—was so intimate and naughty at the same time.

John very carefully bit down on Rodney's earlobe. "Come for me. I want to hear you come apart completely."

Rodney whimpered, feeling the cock ring loosening. John increased the pressure of his strokes, twisting at the end and making him groan. It was just short of enough.

"I'm going to fuck you after you come. Take you when your body is loose and pliant from orgasm. Come for me, so I can fill you."

John's words, his tone, pushed him over the edge and he moaned loudly, his climax running through him light a freight train, hitting him hard. His top stroked him through it all, through the aftershocks until it was too much and he began to whimper.

John reached around behind him, unhooking his hands and then he was carefully rearranged, pushed so he was on his hands and knees, legs spread. Rodney didn't know where the lube had come from, but a moment later John was slowly pressing inside him.

He fell forward, unable to support himself, his muscles limp and loose. Groaning as John filled him, he turned his head to the side, pressing his cheek to the floor. It felt so good.

John didn't drag it out long—he must have been close just from making Rodney come. All too soon, he was coming, filling Rodney completely. He draped himself over Rodney's back for a few minutes before slowly pulling out. "Don't move. I want to go get a clean plug."

Rodney hummed. He was sated and totally fucked and not moving a muscle until he had to.

He heard John get to his feet, and after a few minutes a warm, large plug was slowly pushed into his body, trapping John's come deep.

He groaned, spreading his legs a little.

"Mmmm, very nice. However, the floor isn't the most comfortable place for this. Stand up and come with me."

He tried to obey, but his arms weren't working right, elbows refusing to straighten, to push his body upright. "John…" he whispered, asking for help with the single word.

And his top was there, gently helping, guiding him up, supporting him. He was led back into the bedroom, only instead of being brought to the bed, John brought him over to one of the over-sized easy chairs in the corner. He sat down and drew Rodney in with him, settled between his legs and held close.

Rodney turned, pushing his face into John's neck, wrapping his arms around his top, craving the closeness, the comfort.

John just wrapped his arms around Rodney more firmly, once more petting him slowly. "I love you."

"I know," Rodney whispered, feeling content. Part of him, though, felt bad about forcing John to change his mind about what he wanted to do during their vacation. It was an anything goes resort. John should be able to do whatever he wanted.

"I just want to hold you like this for a little while. You feel so good in my arms."

"I'm sorry I ruined your plans."

"You didn't ruin anything."

"I feel like I did."

"You didn't." John brushed their lips together. "My only plans are to be with you. As long as I have that, I'm content."

Rodney sighed quietly, knowing nothing he said would change John's mind. He knew the tone. They sat quietly and Rodney felt himself drifting off a little, his sated body dropping into a light slumber.

He woke up to John slowly shifting them so Rodney was sitting in the chair, and he could stand up. He gave a guilty little grin when he saw Rodney was awake. "I have to pee. Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up."

"It's okay," he said quietly, reaching out a hand to John.

His lover immediately took it, pressing his lips to the center of Rodney's palm.

"I could, too."

Nodding, John pulled him up to his feet.

He led Rodney to the bathroom, settling him on the edge of the bathtub while he took care of himself before turning back to Rodney. His hands were gentle as he took him in hand, pressing soft kisses to the back of his neck. Rodney leaned into him, willing his body to relax enough to relieve himself, his eyes drifting up to the bar John had used that morning.

John followed the movement, glancing up as he cleaned up. "You enjoyed that."

Rodney flushed a little and nodded. "I liked how you handled it even though I was fighting you at the time."

He could feel the other man's smile being pressed into his neck. "Well, I know how to handle my sub. Sometimes, he says 'no' when what he really means is 'yes, please'."

He sighed and leaned into John's body, his own smile touching his lips. "Maybe." John's arms circled around him, pulling him closer. This was so intimate and so perfect at the same time.

The hand still cradling his cock began to move, stroking slowly, softly.

"Yes, please," Rodney whispered, letting his eyes slide closed.

"Mmm, my pleasure."

John kept up the slow pressure until Rodney swore he was going to go insane from how good it felt. His knees were weak and trembling, his breath coming in panting gasps.

And then the hand disappeared. "Go lie on the bed. On your back. Legs spread, hands above your head."

Rodney whimpered, his eyes snapping open. "Please, John."

"Now."

A shiver went down Rodney's back from the tone of John's voice, the command in it. He was moving even before he fully realized it, nearly in the bedroom by the time his brain kicked into gear. He paused for a brief moment as his bare feet hit the bedroom floor, but he kept going, crawling onto the bed, his cock heavy and dripping.

"Good boy," John purred. And then the straps on the bed were all attached to Rodney's cuffs, locking him down completely immobile and at his top's mercy.

"John…" he pleaded, his eyes on his dom, watching him. He squirmed against the bonds, his ass twinging a little from yesterday's paddling, sparks of pleasure shooting through him.

Humming, his top curled fingers around Rodney's cock again, but instead of stroking, he just rubbed his thumb over the tip again, and again, and again.

Rodney arched into the touch—as much as the bindings allowed. So good. Felt so good.

Because he had let his eyes fall shut, he didn't see John move. And wasn't expecting to be suddenly engulfed by a warm, wet mouth.

A half-scream, half-moan caught in his throat, breathing hitching. "Oh god. So good."

Humming softly, John proceeded to drive Rodney out of his mind, backing off every time he started to get close, not letting him come.

Rodney was sobbing with need by the time John let Rodney's cock slip from his mouth, the cool air intensifying the sensations even further. "Please…John…please…"

"Please what?"

"Want to come….want more…please…" he begged, not even sure exactly what he needed.

John gave a sudden jerk to Rodney's cock, twisting just right. "Come."

Rodney breath hitched again and his body locked for a brief moment before his climax washed over him, hard and intense, rocking his body over and over again with the aftershocks.

When his brain came back online, John was lying alongside him, slowly petting him.

He moaned and arched into the touch, body acting on instinct and impulse.

"Hey, there. Welcome back."

"Please," he whispered, opening his arousal-filled eyes, his cock already trying to make a diligent effort at joining the party again. Just thinking of what John's hands did to him—could do to him—made him groan, wanting it, wanting everything John was willing to give.

That got him a husky chuckle. "I like you eager and panting for me."

"Want you…"

"I know." One finger started to toy with his cock again, lightly drawing circles and stroking up and down.

Rodney whimpered, tugging at the restraints. He wanted more. He wanted everything John would give him. "Please, John…I can…I can take more."

That got another chuckle. "I know that, too. However, right now, this is all you're getting."

Rodney wrenched his eyes open, trying to plead with him. "Please, John…please…"

Instead of answering, John captured his mouth in a deep, possessive kiss.

With John's weight half on top of him, his tongue diving into his mouth, Rodney started to fall. He moaned into John's mouth, lifting his head as he tried to deepen it further.

But John refused to give up control. Every time Rodney tried, John nipped his bottom lip until he backed off, giving everything up to his top.

He whimpered, wiggling and squirming under John, the friction adding even more sensation.

Pulling back slightly, John smiled. "How fast can you come again?"

"Now?"

"Come for me then." John's grip tightened as he stroked Rodney hard and fast.

Rodney groaned and came, spilling over John's hand once again. It was strong and sweet and his body trembled with its aftershocks.

"Good boy." John purred again, and while his hand gentled, he didn't stop stroking.

It was perfect and too much at the same time, his cock already aching once again. He wished he could get hard again for John, wished he could come. He wanted it so badly.

"I want you to hurt by the end of the day because you've come so much." John pressed kisses all along Rodney's jaw line.

"Want to," he whispered, shifting his head back to give John more room.

"You will."

"Want everything."

"It's already yours."

He groaned quietly, arching into John. "Please. Want to stop thinking, please."

In reply, John's mouth returned to his, the kisses lazy and hungry at the same time.

Moaning, he tried to give as good as he got. John's hand continued to gently stroke his soft and overly sensitive cock.

Slowly, the cock ring he was still wearing started to buzz. Softly at first, but then gaining in strength the longer they kissed—and John wasn't in any hurry. They kissed slowly, lazily. John drew it out, loving him, letting them both enjoy the closeness and the pleasure of each other's bodies.

The paused only long enough to breathe, to catch their breath, before John would start again, nibbling at his bottom lip before diving in once again, their tongue caressing and thrusting against each other. The longer John drew it out, the crazier Rodney became, wanting to feel more, wanting more.

He groaned, arching up into John's hands and his body, feeling the slide of skin against skin. John hadn't tightened down the ring as he usually did, which forced Rodney to hold himself back as his arousal began growing once again.

John shifted so he was between Rodney's legs, managing it without breaking the kiss. He started to thrust against Rodney's body, rubbing their erections together, moaning into Rodney's mouth as some of the vibrations transferred to him.

It felt so good, so amazing to do this. It surprised him when he tumbled over the edge, his body shaking once again as another orgasm rolled through him. It was soft, gentle even, but just as powerful as any other, leaving him gasping and panting into John's mouth.

Humming, John let the vibrations fade back down to a gentle hum, even as his kisses turned more to soft nibbles against Rodney's lips.

He moaned, his body trembling. He tugged at the restraints, groaning as butterflies and pleasure rolled through him.

Slowly, John lifted his head. He smiled, then sat up and crawled up Rodney's body until he could run the head of his own cock over Rodney's lips. "Open."

Oh god, yes, Rodney thought as he moaned. He licked his lips, his tongue grazing the tip of John's erection, the salty taste of his lover making his mouth water. He opened up eagerly, watching John's face as he positioned himself, sliding into Rodney's mouth.

Bliss. That was the only word Rodney could think of to describe John's expression. He moved slowly at first, giving Rodney a chance to adjust. And then he started thrusting, pushing all the way back to bump Rodney's throat, and then pulling almost all the way out, where he would pause each time so Rodney could get a few sucks and licks in.

John was beautiful like this, his expression intense. And when he started talking—dirty words about how it felt, how he made him feel…God, Rodney wished he could get hard again right now. The words were all it would take for him to come again.

As his top's breathing got more ragged, Rodney knew he was getting close. "Going to come soon. And you're going to drink it all down, every drop. Want you tasting this for the rest of the day."

Rodney groaned, his body and cock twitching. John smiled, pressing in and holding still deep within Rodney's mouth. He didn't back off until Rodney started tugging at the restraints, until he didn't think he'd be able to take any more. He panted several times, catching his breath a little before John pushed in again. His top was struggling, his body trembling with the effort to hold himself up and still.

After the third time, Rodney vaguely realized he was hard again. His head was spinning and he felt so good.

John thrust in again, and then again, and then again. And then moaned, the cock ring suddenly jumping up to full vibrations as John started to come, filling Rodney's mouth. "Come for me again, now, with me."

Rodney had no choice but to obey. He came again, sweet and warm and perfect, his brain shutting down for a few moments. When he came to, John's hand was over his mouth, lips pressed to his ear whispering for him to swallow, to make sure he hadn't missed any. He groaned and did just so, the taste of John's come in his mouth and on his tongue. He arched into his top's body, the friction making him shudder.

"Good boy." John's approval was warm, sweet, and just as powerful as a physical release in some ways.

He parted his lips slightly, his tongue gently touching John's palm, licking the surface, listening to his top groan quietly.

"God, you're so fucking perfect..." John claimed his mouth again, tongue sweeping inside.

He felt so good, made him feel so good. Rodney let himself get pulled along by the sensations. But he knew he could feel even better. John could take him there, make him fly.

Pulling up, John hummed again. He slowly rolled off, padding over to pull on a pair of jeans—he was going commando—and then returning to Rodney's side with the leash. He unhooked Rodney's hands and feet and sat him up, locking his hands behind his back before adding a blindfold and the leash. A soft tug got Rodney to his feet. "Follow me."

"Please," he whispered, following eagerly, easily, not even sure he knew what he was asking for, begging for.

From the breeze and the feel of the soft sand that lined all the paths here, Rodney knew they were outside. They didn't go far though. He could hear waves crashing. John sat him down on what he guessed was a cabana, spreading his legs and locking them against either side. Then his top somehow managed to wiggle in behind Rodney, pulling him back against his chest. John pressed a kiss into Rodney's shoulder, his body relaxed.

Rodney shifted, hands reaching for his top, knowing he could make him fall apart just from his hands.

Chuckling, John kissed his way up to Rodney's ear. "Get comfortable. When I'm hard again, I'm going to pull out my cock, pull out your plug, and fill you. We'll stay like that enjoying the view and the breeze for a while, and when I can't stand it anymore, I'm going to fuck you senseless."

"Please," Rodney begged, his fingers fumbling at the zipper, trying to tug it down. He wanted to get to skin, to feel John, to touch him, make him hard. But at the same time he wanted John to stop him, wanted to hear that tone of command, wanted John to really help him let go, forget. Forget the SGC. Forget Daniel's damn visit and his words. Forget about everything.

"Mmm. My pretty little bottom slut. Not yet though. Right now I just want to hold you." He reached between them, pushing Rodney's hands away from the zipper.

But Rodney wasn't giving up that easily. He'd managed to slide it down a few inches. A few more and he'd get skin. Glorious, luxurious skin.

John chuckled again, but this time he unlocked Rodney's hands, moving them to his sides, where they were once more locked to something, probably the arm rests.

He tugged at the bindings, whimpering when he couldn't move his hands more than an inch or two. "No, please, John…want to touch you, get your hard, please…"

"Shhh. You will. Just relax right now though." John's fingers curled around Rodney's own soft dick, stroking slowly.

He trembled in John's arms, continually tugging at the restraints holding him in place. As minutes passed, he could feel every synapse slowing in his brain, feel things click off with each and every tug. John's touch was constant, grounding him to the sensations of his body. He turned his head in toward John's neck, arching against him slightly as John stroked him.

John tilted his head, giving Rodney silent permission to nose there as much as he was able. His top's other hand started roaming Rodney's chest, tweaking a nipple here, dragging nails through hair there.

John simply touched him and played with him for what felt like an eternity. Time had no meaning and he was lost in the sensations, trapped there by his top, and loving every single minute of it.

He could feel his body and his mind letting go the longer John touched him, playing with him. There was nothing except his touch, his quiet praise.

Arousal was growing, filling him once again. He was horny and needy and desperate, wanting everything John would give him. He mouthed quiet words against skin, begging between panting gasps and sighs.

John freed one of Rodney's hands, helping him reach back and placing it on his own zipper. "Get me hard and leaking so I can bury myself inside you."

Fumbling with his freed left hand, Rodney whined and turned his body slightly, trying to do as John commanded. He wanted his lover so badly, wanted him deep inside of him, claiming him, taking him.

John didn't unlock anything else though, and he continued to stroke Rodney slowly. "Once I'm hard, I'm going to pull you down slowly, impale you. And then I'm going to lock you down tight again, so you can't fuck yourself on me. You'll just have to sit here and feel me so deep inside you, until I'm ready to take it to the next step."

"Oh god, John please—" His fumbling hand finally tugged down the zipper, stopping an inch later, stuck in place.

His top's laugh was deep, aroused. But he did reach between them, unsticking the zipper and easing it down, pulling himself out so Rodney had access.

It was awkward—backwards and with his weaker hand—but Rodney was determined. He wanted to feel John, wanted him so badly. He whimpered and whined, stroking John hard, wanting to feel him harden.

Fortunately, John didn't require much to get him hard, lengthening in Rodney's hand.

So good, so good, Rodney chanted in his head, knowing his top would be filling him soon.

Finally, John stopped him. "I'm going to unlock your other hand; sit forward so I can pull the plug free."

"Yes, yes, please, John, please…want to feel you so badly, want you, please…"

Doing as he had said, John positioned Rodney and the hard plastic slid free. He sat Rodney back again and did something with the locks on his feet that allowed Rodney to pull up slightly. And then John pulled him down slowly, impaling him.

Rodney groaned as John stretched him, his hot length filling him until he was sitting entirely in John's lap. He was panting hard, the breeze evaporating the sweat on his skin.

And then, true to his word, John locked him back down, preventing him from doing anything more than sitting there, feeling John.

He squirmed a little, tugging at the bindings, but John only tightened his arms around him, mentally closing the cock ring tighter once again.

It was buzzing happily, and John pressed open-mouthed kisses all along Rodney's shoulder. "You feel so good. So tight and hot."

Rodney moaned, whimpering a little when he couldn't move. He wanted to feel the glide of skin, wanted to feel John fucking him. This was going to make him crazy. "John, please…god, please…move…I need you to move…"

"I will. Eventually. Right now, mmm, just want to, want to feel you. Usually too intent on moving to just enjoy this part." John was panting softly.

"John, please," he begged.

Humming, his top just stroked him, hands roaming all over Rodney's body.

His hands were firm and sure, touching him in every sensitive spot, making sure he aroused him, pushing him further and further. With every stroke of his top's hands, Rodney felt himself falling, the sensations overwhelming him, blinding him to anything and everything else.

"Good boy," John purred. "Just let go and take what I'm giving you."

"Please," he begged in between panting breaths, not caring how he sounded.

"So pretty when you beg. So sweet."

He whimpered, but didn't stop, couldn't stop.

Because Rodney was locked into place on top of him, John didn't have much wiggle room either. However, he did shimmy his hips a bit, making his cock move around inside Rodney, sending little sparks of pleasure all through him.

With his eyes clenched tightly closed behind the blindfold, Rodney moaned loudly. He was breathing heavily, desperately needing John to help him, to let him come. But his top just kept sending him higher, his hands so sure and familiar. His nipples were tight points, overly sensitive from John's fondling and teasing, having been the subject of his top's intense concentration for some time.

But Rodney kept begging, pleading.

John's breathing was getting more and more ragged. Rodney could tell he was getting close to needing to move as well.

"Please…"

With a groan, John finally reached around, loosening the straps preventing Rodney from moving. "Ride me."

Rodney moved immediately as soon as his limbs were free. He was a little unsteady in his eagerness to get fucked, but he didn't care. He knew it would feel good, needed it to feel good. He rose up and then before John's cock slipped free, slipped back down hard, feeling John's cock touch him deeply. He groaned, pausing only for a minute before he did it again—hard and rough—wanting to feel it.

John wrapped a fist around Rodney's dick. It was perfect, and the cock ring was still tight, ensuring Rodney could do this for a while without coming.

He moaned and whimpered, feeling the sensations growing higher and higher. He felt like he was spinning out of control.

And then his top whispered breathily into his ear. "Come." The cock ring loosened at the same time, and the warm rush of heat deep inside told him John was following his own order as well.

Rodney came hard, his yell stopping mid-way as his air rain out. He managed to pull in a ragged breath some time later, his body shaking and shuddering as he collapsed limply against John.

His top's arms were once more around him, holding him close. And because of the position, he was still inside Rodney and was showing no signs of wanting to move and pull out any time soon.

It was nearly too much, but Rodney wasn't moving. He didn't have the energy or the desire. His pounding heart and his panting breaths eventually slowed. John tightened down the cock ring once again, pulling a whimpering moan from him.

"Love you..."

He shifted, sparks of intense pleasure racing through him, making him gasp, his reply getting lost in the sound.

Chuckling, John kissed Rodney's ear, an affectionate, gentle gesture. "Just relax for now. I want to enjoy the view of the ocean and my sub in my lap for a little while."

His muscles were limp, his body overly sated. There was no way he was moving, so he settled down to wait.

His top and lover continued to pet him, but this time, the touches were easy, meant to comfort not arouse.

With a quiet sigh, Rodney reached up after a while, capturing John's hand in his own and bringing it to his abused nipple, silently asking for more.

Humming, John did, tweaking and rolling them between his fingers again.

Rodney shuddered and moaned, arching slightly into his top's hands. So good, felt so good. If only he'd do more, add more, try more…

"Shhh." Rodney didn't realize he had said that out loud. "I will. But right now, I just want to hold you. I like this, and we don't get to do it very often."

"Please…"

"Not right now, no."

"Please…I need—"

"No. You want. I decide what you need."

"John, please," he begged, whimpering quietly. "Need more…need your help, please."

Both of his nipples were squeezed, hard, for several seconds before John let up. "If you can't submit, I will gag you."

"Yes, please," Rodney nodded, whispering the words once he finally caught his breath. The gag would help.

That got a soft laugh from John, but then a gag was slipped into place. Rodney didn't know if John had brought it, or if it was just one of the items kept stocked here, but right now he didn't care either way.

It was larger than the one he'd worn before, a little more severe. He almost spit it out before John had it buckled in place, second-guessing his own thoughts about his submission. Rodney moaned as he heard John buckle and lock the gag in place.

Whispering, John's breath ghosted over Rodney's ear. "You're mine. All mine. You'll get what I choose to give you. No more. No less."

Rodney shivered, his hands moving to grab onto John's, wanting to hold onto something, but John caught them before he even had the chance to move them a few inches.

They were gently pushed back to his sides, locked back down. His top did, however, link their fingers together with one hand, giving Rodney another anchor.

He moaned, breathing roughly through his nose. Yes. This was what he needed. This, and more.

"Mine."

Rodney whimpered and nodded, shifting against John, feeling sparks of pleasure shoot up from where they were linked—John still buried inside of him.

With John's hands roaming all over his body—with special attention to his nipples—Rodney felt himself beginning to fall. He struggled a few times—tugging against the bonds, shifting in John's lap—but every time a clear and concise word or a hard squeeze of a nipple got him to stop. Headspace wasn't far away. He could feel the edges of it.

John's hand slipped to his cock and began to stroke it. "Can you get hard for me again?"

Rodney nodded. Yes. He'd get hard for John.

"Good boy." John continued to stroke him. "How much can you take? If I keep touching you like this, let you come but don't stop, can you stay hard? Can you endure that for me?"

He moaned, shifting slightly in John's arms, spreading his legs wider. He wanted to, wanted to please John, wanted to do this.

The buzzing got a little stronger, and John's hand moved faster, stroking a little harder. "Come for me."

As soon as the ring loosened, Rodney came. It was slow and sensual, John's hand continuing to stroke him through it. The ring tightened down once again as soon as Rodney finished, making him moan loudly around the gag. He shifted and felt John hardening inside of him, filling and stretching him once again. It was too much.

But his top didn't let up. Continued to stroke him just as fast and hard, the ring still buzzing strong.

He tried to shift away, but he couldn't. Pinned in place, impaled by John. He had to take it. He whimpered and moaned again, begging wordlessly through the gag.

"Just take it, Rodney. Relax and accept it because it's what I want from you."

Rodney shuddered and moaned again from the tone of John's voice. It wasn't fair. Wasn't fair. With another whimper, he clenched his eyes tightly closed once again, moisture filling the corners, but not spilling over. Too much, too much, too much, he chanted in his mind, his body a conflicting mix of signals. It felt good, but it was too much, way too much, but he still wanted more.

With a small whimper in the back of his throat, Rodney felt his brain starting to overload, to shut down. There was only so much it was able to handle and this was beyond the safety zone.

John's hand slowed, but didn't stop. "Such a good boy. Doing so good. My beautiful sub, I love you so much."

It was all the breathing room he needed, that small amount of pressure that enabled Rodney to drop, tumbling headlong into subspace. His body—nearly between one breath and the next—melted.

John's hips snapped up a few times, and then he was filling Rodney a second time, the warm rush of possession letting Rodney drop just a little bit further.

Rodney's head had rolled to the side, pressed into John's neck. He could feel and hear his top's panting breaths.

Finally, he stirred under Rodney's body. "We're going to go back to the room now. We're going to sit, and you're going to suck me for a while. You'll be kneeling between my legs, and you're allowed to hold me in your mouth and suck for as long as you want, until I come again."

He nodded, breathing evenly, trying to keep himself in his headspace, not wanting to ruin John's hard work.

"Good boy."

Moving slowly, John unstrapped Rodney and helped him sit up, his cock slipping from Rodney's body.

Rodney smelled something that reminded him of cleaning and heard the swish of fabric or something. He tilted his head to the side to try and hear better and then John was sliding the plug back into place a moment later, making him groan. John had used the come to slick it up before pushing it into place. His hands were secured behind his back a few moments later and then John was standing, tugging him to his feet with the leash. Another tug and they were moving, walking forward, the sand soft beneath his feet. He felt foggy as he followed John without hesitation, shaking his head a few times to see if it would help.

"Don't fight it." John's voice was low, soothing, as he led Rodney back to the suite.

Rodney shook his head, his steps slowing.

John gave another tug to the leash.

He made a small sound of annoyance as he had to shuffle to catch up.

He heard a soft chuckle, as his top ignored his annoyance.

When Rodney stumbled for the second time, he slowed again, feeling the leash go taunt between him and John. They were still somewhere between the beach and their cottage, his mind trying to calculate their exact location, his brain beginning to rev back up once again.

Firm fingers curled around his chin. "Stop it. I can almost hear you thinking. Take a deep breath with me. If you need something to think about, think about what we'll be doing in a few minutes. You'll be on your knees, on the floor between my legs. My cock in your mouth, to suck, to lick, to just hold there if you want. For as long as you want, until you can make me come again."

Rodney tried to shift away, but John's grip on the leash and his chin didn't permit him to move. If anything, John tightened his hand, moving closer, his tone getting harder, more possessive, more demanding.

"You. Are. Mine. I don't really care if this isn't what you think you want—it is what you will do. If I have to beat your ass red again first I will, but you will do exactly what I just told you I want from you."

He shivered as John's words ghosted over him, his mind screaming yes and no in equal measure. He whimpered quietly, breathing heavily through his nose.

John's hand moved south, gripping Rodney's cock, which he gave a tug to, forcing Rodney to take a step forward, and then another. "You will follow me. You will not fight me. I will have your complete submission."

Rodney moaned and shuddered, his mind ticking down a few notches as he moved with John.

They continued down the path, John literally leading Rodney by the cock instead of by the leash. By the change of materials under his feet, he knew they were back in the suite. John continued to lead him forward, and then pushed him down to his knees. "I want you to kneel for me, and hold as still as you can. I want to look at you submitting to me. You will stay that way until I tell you otherwise."

John's hands arranged him—angling his head down, opening his legs wider—and then they were gone as he stepped back. Rodney moaned and shifted slightly.

"Don't move."

Rodney whimpered, feeling open and exposed, even more so than when they were outside on the beach. He could feel John's eyes on him. He shifted again when the pressure was just too much.

"I said don't move. This isn't about me forcing you to be still. I could tie you down if I wanted that. I want your submission now. I want you still because you want to follow my orders and please me."

He wanted to scream, to yell at John, tell him that he wanted to please him, but he couldn't. Rodney whimpered again, louder this time, his body trembling slightly. He wanted to please John. He did.

Another whimper turned into a quiet sob as his brain ticked down again. He wanted John. Wanted to please him.

"Good boy, just hold still. You do please me, Rodney. You're such a good boy. You just have a hard time sometimes. Don't you? But I know what you need. Just surrender to me and trust me to take care of you." Fingers carded through his hair.

It took nearly all of his willpower to remain where he was, to not turn into the touch of John's hand. He whimpered again.

"So perfect. Holding so still for me. You're beautiful like this."

He whined when he felt John step away from him, leaving him alone once again. He trembled, his mind dropping once again as the time moved on, leaving him with only silence and the sensation of his bondage and his knees on the hardwood floor.

Finally, his top spoke softly again. "Scoot forward on your knees. I'm right in front of you."

Rodney nodded, shifting forward, moving until his chest touched the couch or chair John was sitting on, his top's legs grazing the tops of both of his arms.

"Good boy." John's voice was warm with praise, his fingers sinking into Rodney's hair, petting him gently. He was guided so his head was resting against his top's leg, the smell of sex and John strong.

And John held him there, petting him quietly. It took a while before Rodney felt his body relax, before he gave himself up to the slow pace John was setting.

Without a word, as soon as he had relaxed, John pulled the gag off without forcing Rodney to raise his head. Then he was guided forward a little more, until his lips bumped his master's groin.

Rodney whimpered, feeling John's half-hard cock against his cheek, his pubic hairs tickling his nose. But this…this was…yes. Rodney took a deep breath through his nose, pulling in the scent of his top, reveling in it.

The hand petting him moved down along his face, until a thumb pressed against the corner of his mouth, opening it. The cock Rodney loved so much was nudged between his lips.

With a moan of appreciation and desperate want, Rodney opened wider so he could swallow John down. His own cock twitched as soon as he tasted his top.

"Good boy." John's voice was husky. "This is your reward for being so good. Suck me, lick me, hold me in your mouth. My cock is yours to worship for as long as I can hold back my orgasm."

Rodney moaned around John's cock, settling in close, simply holding John. His top's hands stroked the back of his neck, his shoulders and arms, wherever he could reach.

"So beautiful..."

Rodney let himself float, his mind slowly drifting off. The television went on at some point, the volume on low, but John's hands never stopped touching him, petting him, reassuring him. He sucked and licked randomly, simply content to stay like this right now.

His top stayed about half-hard, aroused, but not painfully so, his earlier orgasms not making anything urgent. He was giving Rodney a gift, giving him what he so desperately needed, for as long as he wanted it.

He needed this closeness, the reassurance. He still needed more, but for right now this was enough.

He heard John talking at some point later, the subtle vibrations of his voice transmitting to Rodney. Whatever it was, John would tell him if he needed to know.

And then it was quiet again, with just the soft hum of the television, and John's hands stroking him.

With a soft sign of contentment, Rodney let the rest of the tension drain from his body. He drifted for a while, caught somewhere between wakefulness and sleep.

Eventually, the stroke of John's thumb changed, pressing into the crease of Rodney's mouth. His voice was soft, relaxed. "Hey, buddy. You have to be getting hungry. Sit up and I'll feed you, and then you can go back to what you're doing."

Rodney didn't protest as John's hands helped to guide him back, John's cock dropping from his mouth with a soft pop. He angled his head up toward John, opening his mouth slightly as he waited. It was just so easy like this.

Making a pleased noise, John angled Rodney's head up. Only instead of food, it was his top's mouth that plundered Rodney's mouth, dipping inside, kissing him deeply.

Moaning into the kiss, Rodney shifted on his knees, pressing up into John, loving the feel of John's hands as they drifted down his neck, holding him in place. He could feel John's fingers pressing against the skin of his neck, grazing the edge of the metal collar.

Pulling back slowly, John's breath ghosted over Rodney's lips. "Mine. All mine."

"Yours, sir," Rodney whispered, licking his lips, his tongue grazing John's.

With a growl, John claimed his mouth again, deeply, possessively.

With an equally loud groan, Rodney easily submitted to John, his body trembling and throbbing with need.

Once more John pulled back, and this time, it was a piece of fruit that grazed Rodney's lips. "Eat. And then you can go back to using your mouth for other things."

Rodney did just so, eating each and every bite of food John gave him, chewing it carefully before he was given more. Sips of water between each bite helped to wash it all down and John's free hand continued to touch and pet him, making it so intimate, so perfect.

"Very good. We're done, so you can take me back in your mouth." John kissed him lightly as he offered himself up for Rodney's pleasure again.

He hummed contentedly as soon as he had John in his mouth once again. He settled down with his cheek against John's thigh, sucking gently.

He heard his top suck in a deep breath, and the cock in his mouth started to grow.

This is what he wanted. Rodney shifted so he could take John in deep, feel him pressing against the back of his throat, filling his mouth.

Fingers sank into his hair as John's grip tightened. The scent of his top's arousal got stronger, spicier.

Humming, Rodney sucked a little harder, wanting to feel his top come.

Above him, John's breathing got steadily more ragged, and the muscles in his legs started to flex as his hips made small thrusts up.

Sucking and humming continually, Rodney tried to take his top deeper, gagging a little when he moved too far. He had to work on that. Needed to relax more to make it better for John.

Finally, John was coming, pouring down Rodney's throat, coating his tongue.

With a moan, Rodney eagerly swallowed it down, loving the feel of John coming in his mouth, loving the taste, the smell, the feel.

As he came down from on high, John's body twitched a few times, but he didn't make any moves to pull out of Rodney's mouth just yet.

And that was perfectly fine. He settled down again, head against John's thigh, simply holding his top's cock in his mouth, letting his mind drift. He was focused on the sensations instead: the pull of muscle in his arms from how they were bound, the floor under his knees, his aroused and erect cock, the soft press of skin against his cheek, John's softening cock in his mouth.

And then fingers returning to carding through his hair, his top murmuring softly. Rodney couldn't pick out any specific words, but the tone was soft, comforting.

Rodney sighed quietly, contentedly.

"If you can get me hard again, I'll fuck you now. If not, I'll fuck you later tonight instead."

After a brief thought, Rodney let it go. While getting fucked would be fantastic, he was okay just like this.

John made a small sound of amusement. "This is your reward for being so good for me today. So if you'd prefer to spend it like this, you can."

He shrugged slightly, the barest hint of movement of his shoulders.

Petting Rodney gently, John shifted a little, but didn't pull away. If anything, he spread his legs just a little wider, letting Rodney scoot just a little closer.

Instead, Rodney lifted his head, letting John's cock drop from his mouth before he settled in close, nose in next to John's groin, his cock bumping the side of his face.

The backs of John's fingers brushed down over the exposed part of Rodney's face. "I love you so much."

"Love you," he whispered, jaw aching a little, but it felt so good, reminding him of his place, of what was required of him.

John continued to caress him for a bit, before finally taking a deep breath. "We're moving to the bed. I'm going to play with your body now."

Rodney whimpered just a little, wanting to stay where he was. It was safe and comfortable and perfect.

"Shh. Your body is mine, and right now it will bring me pleasure to play with it. But don't worry—I will let you have this again. In fact, if you're good for the rest of the day, you can spend tomorrow morning before breakfast just like this again."

"But John—" he whispered, even as his top began to shift him, preparing him to stand once again.

"What have I told you about using those words? Submit to me."

Rodney whimpered again, lowering his head. "Yes, sir," he whispered a few moments later.

"Good boy." John helped him to his feet, and then they were walking, although not far. After John tugged the plug free of Rodney's body, he was arranged on the bed and felt the plushness of a towel under his body. Something that was superior to a pillow—some kind of small wedge—was under him, tilting his hips up at the perfect angle to give his top full access before all four limbs were locked down spread-eagle.

He tugged at the restraints, he had to, just to see how tight it was, just to feel that small shiver of anticipation when he realized he had no way to break free, that he was trapped like this until John decided he'd had enough. Even after all this time, he still got it every time they did it.

"Oh…" he whispered as his hands came a few inches off the bed. Not as tight as usual then.

The chuckle John gave was faintly... naughty. "I want to see you struggle a little." That was the only warning he got before something wet and cold was pressing into his body. An ice cube.

"Oh…" Rodney moaned, arching up even as John pushed the cube all the way in. Water trickled down his ass as it melted.

John just continued to add them slowly, one by one.

He started really wriggling and squirming after the third one, felt them freezing his muscles but also melting inside him at the same time. He was moaning and whimpering continually, tugging and pulling at the restraints holding him in place. In between the noises, he was begging—pleading for John to stop, that it was too much, but with the same breath asking for more.

Instead, his top engulfed his cock with his mouth, which felt almost scaldingly hot in comparison with the ice. As he sucked, John pushed another cube in.

Rodney howled, arching up into John's mouth, pleading and begging and sobbing once he caught his breath.

The ring stayed tight, preventing him from coming. Eventually, John pulled off his cock with a pop. Before Rodney could really wail at the loss, a piece of ice was being run all down his length, while a lot tongue dove inside his entrance.

The sensations—searing hot and cold—made him tug and pull hard at the restraints, his body shuddering and writhing on the bed.

His top alternated, moving back and forth between his cock and his entrance, alternating between hot and cold, mouth and ice. It was the most pleasurable torture he had ever known. He wanted to beg for release and beg for it to never end at the same time.

And honestly, he probably was. He was saying something, his lips and mouth moving, but he didn't know what was coming out. It was…the sensations simply blotted everything else out.

When John pulled off from mouthing Rodney's cock, he braced himself for another round with a tongue. But instead, the searing hot length of his lover's erection was pressed deep inside him in one steady thrust.

Rodney's breath caught in his throat and he swore he could feel John's cock pressing all the way through him. It was too much and not enough and everything in between.

He wasn't given any time to adjust, his top taking him, fucking him hard and fast.

With a cry of completion, John came within in, slumping over Rodney as his body shuddered through another climax. It was then, with a matching cry of his own, that Rodney fell deeper into headspace, his body limp and pliant under John's.

Sitting up but not pulling out, John wrapped one hand around Rodney's aching erection, but didn't stroke him or move. The ring, however, went slack. "Come for me."

With a groan, Rodney did, spilling over John's hand as shudders wracked his body leaving him spent.

John stroked his chest and gentled him through it, then slowly pulled out. A few moments later, a warm washcloth started to run all over Rodney's body, cleaning him.

He moaned as John touched overly-sensitive areas, his body shaking and shuddering anew.

An ice cube rubbed over one nipple, followed quickly by John's mouth, sucking lightly.

"Oh god," he breathed, already panting.

John just laughed softly, doing the same thing to the other side.

"Please," he begged, arching into John's mouth.

Teeth worked at one tender nub. "Mmm. You taste so good. Addictive."

The pain quickly faded into pleasure and Rodney felt himself trembling, heard himself begging for more. He could take it. Whatever John wanted.

John played with his chest until both nipples ached so good. With a puff of air, he kissed each one before attaching what felt like pretty substantial clips to each one.

A heavy chain was placed in the middle of his chest, feeling larger and heavier than anything they'd used before. If he sat up…if he walked…oh, god, he breathed, his mind already tracking ahead.

He could feel the way the Ancient metal responded to John's thoughts, attaching itself to the chain. Pulling it tight enough that any movement Rodney made... Oh god...

John's hands fumbled at Rodney's neck as well, attaching the heavy chain to his collar, the lines secure and tight. He moaned, already knowing what it would feel like, how it would pull and tug.

A hand then ran up the inside of his thigh, to tease his cock. It was spent, but twitching almost continuously, wanting to get hard again. "Beautiful."

Rodney shifted, moving toward John's touch. "Please," he whispered.

He heard his top shift, and then the blindfold was pulled free, to reveal John's hazel eyes smiling down at him. "I'm going to unhook you from the bed now—stand up. I have one more thing I want to add, and then I want to see you walk across the room and back."

He moaned, his eyes locked with John's. "Please…too much. It'll be too much."

"No, it won't. It will feel very, very good though." True to his word, John undid the four ties, urging Rodney to stand. "I have a plan."

He whimpered John tugged him upright, the chain tight against his skin, the weighted clips tugging at his nipples and swinging a little sending pain and pleasure in equal measure through his body. John's hands wouldn't let him pause until he was on his feet, standing next to the bed.

"Mmm. Perfect." He picked up what appeared to be a stainless steel dildo from the bed. It was unusual in that it had four flat O-rings on the end that would sit flush against Rodney's skin. His top slicked it up and then moved behind Rodney, pushing it inside slowly.

"John?" he asked as his top moved around him once it was in place. The dildo was large, but not unbearably so. It was when John reached for more of the heavy chains did he get the idea of what was coming.

"Mmmm." One chain was hooked to the back of his collar and down his back, clipping to one of the O-rings. Another one went between his legs, attaching to the cock ring perfectly with a quiet click. The chains were just loose enough to allow him to move, but every movement pulled and tugged him in all the right ways.

Oh god. "John…."

"Walk to the door and back. I want to make sure everything is the right tension."

He shook his head, already knowing how it was going to feel, how it was going to tug and pull. "No, please…it's going to be too much…I can't—"

"You will. None of that is coming off or out any time soon. Walk, Rodney."

He reached out for John with one hand, but he stepped back, out of his immediate reach.

"Walk to the door and back, and then I'll hold you and touch you. I need to make sure you can move in this. Submit, Rodney. Let go. You don't have to think about it, just do it because it will please me. Get lost in the way I'm making you feel."

Rodney whimpered and closed his eyes, his hands clenching into fists at his side.

A hand drifted down his spine, tracing the curve of the chain. "I know it feels overwhelming. But you need this. You need me to flood you with sensation so you can completely shut your brain down. Trust me."

"Please," he whispered, feeling his body trembling slightly. "I…"

"I know. Do you want me to walk with you? I'll give you that much." He reached around to lace his fingers with Rodney's.

He nodded immediately, already feeling the chains tugging and he hadn't moved a single solitary step. "Going to be too much…John…"

"It will be intense, but not too much. One step at a time. Let yourself go, Rodney. That's why we're doing this. Walk, and let yourself just feel. Stop thinking about it."

"Easier….easier said than done," he whispered, closing his eyes. His heart was already beating frantically in is chest—part worry, part anticipation. His panting breaths were loud in their master suite.

"One step at a time." John squeezed his hand. "I'll walk with you. Come on."

"John, no!" Rodney said, slightly panicked as John tugged him forward. His feet were rooted to the floor, he didn't…couldn't move.

"You don't have a choice. 'No' isn't a word in your vocabulary right now." His top's voice hardened.

"Oh god," he whimpered as John pulled, overbalancing him that he had to take that first step, everything pulling and tugging just as he expected. His breath caught in his throat, his eyes squeezed shut as every single one of his erogenous zones were touched and tugged at all at once.

It was like John was everywhere, like he had hands and fingers all over his body. One step became two and then three, the sensations rolling through his body in waves. He couldn't concentrate on anything else except the tug and pull of the chains, everything else outside of his head reduced to a roar of white noise. If John was talking, he couldn't hear him.

He held on with desperate hands until it finally became too much and he had to let go, trusting John to catch him.

***

John could see the exact moment when his difficult sub finally let go completely. By the time he had walked across the room and back, it was obvious he was completely lost in the sensations, that big brain finally turned off.

Now he just had to find a way to keep him there.

For now, John led him to the corner where the suspension gear was, hooking Rodney's hands high, knowing it would pull the chains in new and interesting ways. And the constant little bit of shifting Rodney would instinctively do would ensure everything was moving exactly how John wanted it, constantly.

His sub moaned quietly, pleasurably as he settled into place. His eyes were still closed, but the crease of worry between his eyes had smoothed out, some of the tension—make that most of the tension—gone from his body. By the time John was done, there would be no tension except the good kind.

Knowing it would be transmitted through the chains to the rest of his body, John told the cock ring to start buzzing on its lowest setting, just the hint of vibration to add one more layer of stimulation.

Rodney rocked forward, immediately rising up on his toes as his body trembled in time with the ring. The cry that fell from his mouth was pure and uncensored.

John traced his hands over Rodney's body, caressing him, enjoying the play of muscle under skin and the little goosebumps that followed in his wake.

Rodney moaned and purred in equal measure with John's caresses, leaning instinctually into the touches, his body asking for more.

Wrapping a hand around his sub's cock, John began to stroke, wanting to bring him to full hardness again.

It didn't take long to bring Rodney along, his sub's eager moans accompanied the subtle spreading of his legs to give John more room. He had to smile at the unconscious actions of his sub. He had been so lucky. What many tops had to train into their subs, came naturally with Rodney.

He rewarded the action with a deep, affectionate kiss. He took his time, licking into his lover's mouth, keeping it sensual and full of all the love he had for this man.

Rodney opened up easily for John, adding his own emotions to the kiss, nipping at John's bottom lip when he had the chance.

Chuckling, John just enjoyed this quiet time they had together.

The rest of the afternoon and evening were more of the same. Eventually he moved his sub back to the bed, unlocking the heavier chains from his body so he could arrange him on the bed, locking him into place. He took out the weighted nipple clamps, too, giving Rodney's nipples a little break. But then, he used his hands and mouth to tease and torment instead. They both came several more times, and by the time dinner was over, he judged they could both use some rest.

Rodney looked…totally debauched and wrecked, his body entirely pliant. Tension gone? Oh yeah…

Making sure there was enough slack to prevent his sub from being uncomfortable overnight, John curled close, petting him softly and whispering praise.

His sub shifted a little, turning in closer to John, lips pressing light kisses to skin.

Smiling, John returned the favor. "Sleep now. Tomorrow is another day to play."

Rodney hummed quietly, pressing a few more kisses to John's shoulder before he finally stopped, letting out a quiet, contented sigh. He tugged at the restraints holding his hands in place, a small smile growing on his lips as he tilted his head to the side toward John, his eyes slowly opening.

The blue was almost completely blown out, a testament to just how deep his lover was, still. It gave John a purely toppy thrill, knowing it was him that put that look there. "Hey."

"Mmm..." Rodney said, his smile growing—a smile John rarely saw. It was so open and innocent, making the years drop away from his lover's face. John imagined it was how Rodney would have looked before Ivan, before some of the hard times in his life. "Hi."

It took his breath away. "You're so beautiful..."

Rodney simply kept the same smile, his usual bashful blush non-existent. "All because of you."

"Mmm. I'm okay with that. It's what makes us so perfect together. I'm never letting you go. You're mine for life now."

If anything, the smile got brighter, hopeful. His voice, though, sounded younger and John could almost picture Rodney with lighter hair and a gawky skinny body. "Promise?"

"I promise. And you know I never break a promise." John brushed their lips together softly. "You'll always be mine now."

Rodney leaned forward, connecting their lips more fully, kissing John deeply. It was as if John could feel it all the way down to his pinkie toe. And it was at that moment, that he swore to himself that no one would ever take this closeness away from him, would never get between them. He wished he could go back and shield Rodney from everything that had happened to him through his life—some of which he still couldn't talk about.

For now, it was enough that Rodney was his, and he could take care of him, soothe away those old hurts, replace them with happier memories. He broke the kiss slowly, with little nibbles. "Sleep now."

"Mmm…'kay," he whispered, his eyes already closed, his long lashes dark against the white of his cheeks.

John waited until Rodney's breathing had evened out, brushing baby-soft kisses over each of his eyelids before cuddling close, finally letting himself drift into sleep as well.

When he woke up, it was to a new day. Stretching, he checked his sub, seeing the other man was still sleeping soundly. Slipping out of bed, John took care of nature, and ordered breakfast. Returning to the bed, he ran a finger over his lover's face. "Hey, buddy. Time to wake up."

Rodney shifted slightly, letting out a long breath, but not waking fully.

Taking advantage, and not wanting Rodney to come out of his headspace, John unhooked him from the bed and gently manhandled him into a sitting position. His sub didn't protest at all, but instead leaned into John's body, letting him support him. He rubbed his face in John's chest, snuffing quietly.

Chuckling, John got him to his feet, leading him to the bathroom. There, he helped Rodney relieve himself, then played with the dildo still firmly in place. "Do you need me to take this out for a few minutes so you can take care of business?"

Rodney nodded. "Yes, please." His voice was quiet, the edges still soft with sleep.

John once more attached Rodney's hands to the suspension bar above the toilet before pulling the dildo free and easing the other man down. While he did his business, John moved to the sink, washing the toy. As soon as Rodney was done and cleaned up, it was going right back in. Unless he picked one of the larger ones… He moved to the closet, picking another stainless steel plug, one of the larger ones. It would be cold going in, but warm up nicely.

"John?"

"Yes?" He moved back over to his sub.

Rodney's eyes were finally open, gaze even as he looked up at him. "Can we shower?"

Sniffing, John realized they were pretty ripe. "Of course. I never turn down a chance to run my hands all over you wet. Finish there, and I'll start the water." And this way, he could fuck Rodney, clean him up, and then put the dildo back in. The best of both worlds.

Rodney's smile was broad and easy. God…he was so beautiful like this, so open and trusting and still so obviously in headspace.

It didn't take long for Rodney to finish and for John to move them into the hot shower. Using the hooks there, he secured his sub to the wall—metal toys were nice, he didn't have the change them out—before grabbing the washcloth and beginning his ritual of cleaning every inch of beautiful white skin on display.

His sub was purring by the time he was finished, his skin turned pink from the washcloth. John had to smile. When they'd first started this whole relationship, Rodney had been so reluctant to allow John this much control, but now he asked for it, thrived with it.

Wanting to reward him, John gently engulfed Rodney's prominent erection with his mouth, sucking lightly, teasing the head.

Rodney groaned, breath catching in his throat. "Oh…."

John loved the fact that this shower, built for bondage, kept Rodney in the middle of the stall, where John had full access to everything. He worked a hand around and pushed one finger inside his lover as he continued to suck and lick.

Absently he wondered if he could retrofit something in Atlantis. He probably could and the shower was pretty large…

In the meantime, he was taking full advantage of this one. When he judged Rodney was lost in the sensations, and his own cock was starting to ache, John pulled off with a pop and moved behind Rodney. Grabbing the lube from a shelf, he slicked himself up and pushed inside with one smooth movement.

With Rodney stretched from the fucking and the plug, it was easy to take him like this, to just slide inside. His sub groaned, adjusting his stance to brace himself if John started thrusting. Perfect, so perfect.

He took it slow and easy, savoring the way Rodney's body caressed his cock. John could spend the rest of his life doing nothing but this.

Rodney moaned and purred, sounds of pure enjoyment and pleasure rumbling easily from his chest.

Reaching around, John stroked him in time to the thrusts, wanting to create a feedback loop where Rodney knew nothing but pleasure.

His sub's sounds got louder with the additional sensation, his body trembling, trapped between John's cock and his hand.

All too soon, John felt his own orgasm starting to build beyond the point of no return. Loosening the ring, he put his mouth by Rodney's ear. "Come for me."

Rodney obeyed immediately, clenching down on John's cock as he came, spilling over John's hand and over his own stomach, the water washing the come away as quickly as he released it.

It was enough for John, who followed him over the edge. After a few minutes of heavy breathing, leaning heavily on his sub, John pulled out slowly. The plug, which he had brought in with him, was slicked up and pushed back into place.

His sub didn't even flinch, his body limp and pliant, hanging in the restraints, head angled down.

Humming to himself, John finished cleaning away the last traces of sex from their bodies before unhooking Rodney and leading him out. After drying them both off, he was pleased to see breakfast had already been delivered and was waiting on the table. He led his sub to the chair, and smiled softly when Rodney automatically fell into position.

It didn't take him long to settle down, hands held in the small of his back. He looked up at John with wide open eyes, his face soft and open and trusting.

Settling himself, John started to feed them. He let himself fall into it, into the peace and tranquility of the ritual, of watching his sub, the little playful licks and nips Rodney gave him. He was half-hard again already. A soft noise made him look up, across the room.

Harry and Peter were standing in the door, Harry looking absolutely enthralled with the two of them. John could tell that it was Harry who had made that soft, needy noise even without Peter turning in to him, his hand at the back of his neck rubbing gently.

Smiling softly, John fed his sub another piece of food, stoking along the side of his face. He kept his voice quiet, knowing Rodney was still too far down to be disturbed by it as long as he spoke softly. "Hi, there."

"I see you've settled right in," Peter said moving forward, a smile on his face and he drew Harry with him. They were dressed for the weather—cargo shorts, t-shirts, and barefoot. They'd obviously checked in earlier this morning or the night before.

"Mmm, yes, thank you. This place is amazing." John glanced down at Rodney, still smiling. "It's perfect."

"Good. I'm glad you're enjoying it. It was a tall order to find somewhere for you on such short notice." Peter silently directed Harry to one of the chairs, his hands firm but gentle. His partner's eyes had yet to leave Rodney, a quiet yearning clearly evident on his face.

John pushed the tray to where Peter could reach it too—he had ordered more than enough to share. "I had faith that you would find exactly what we needed. Are you guys staying the rest of the week? I knew you were coming in today, but I didn't look to see how long you were here for."

Peter nodded briskly, reaching for a few pieces of fruit. "I think we head back a day or so before you do. Didn't want to spend too many days away, but we needed to get away from the bump and grind of the club." He left a few pieces on a small plate in front of Harry, who slowly took them, still looking a little shell-shocked. "So how have you been, John? Your emails have been cryptic at best and not as often as we'd like."

John grinned at Harry, letting Rodney suck his thumb into his mouth. His lover moaned softly. "We've been good, actually. We needed the vacation, but things haven't been too bad lately. And you know I would send more information if I could. I wish I could bring you guys out to where we're stationed. You'd be blown away."

"Yeah, well…" Peter shrugged, taking a bite of pineapple. "You know me and the military."

John gave him a mild look, lips quirking up. "You're not really going to start that argument again, are you? I have access to whips, and I know how to use them."

Peter chuckled, shaking his head. "No, we're not going to start that argument again, but my issues are still there."

"And so are my reasons." John slowly drew his thumb in and out of Rodney's mouth. "So, I know you guys aren't as hard-core as we are, but given the way Harry is almost ready to drop to his knees and crawl over here, are you considering playing outside the box a bit?"

His friend rolled his eyes a little, turning to look at his partner. "We're still…discussing it."

Raising an eyebrow, John looked at Harry, who still hadn't spoken, carefully. "He wants it, and you're not sure?"

Feeling the weight of John's gaze, Harry glanced up. God…his eyes were blown wide, answering his question without a word.

Looking at Peter, John caught his friend's attention. "So are you…?"

"Are we what?" Peter's voice had changed and John knew he needed to tread a little carefully.

John met his eyes calmly. "He obviously wants to."

"We have our own ways," Peter said instead, his voice just as careful as John's. Apparently it was a point of contention between his two friends if Peter's body language was any indication.

Nodding, John let it drop. If Peter wanted his help, he'd ask for it. And while seeing Harry like this was interesting, he wasn't about ready to stick his nose in where it wasn't wanted—yet. "I'd like to go surfing at some point while we're here, and while I plan to restrain Rodney while I do it so he can watch, if you guys are planning on being on the beach at all, I might try to do it then. My sub is very pretty, and while most people respect the 'don't touch without asking' rule, there's always one who doesn't. I'd feel better if I knew you were nearby."

"Of course," Peter said, nodding without any hesitation. "You're here to enjoy yourself, too."

"Thanks." Rodney did something with his tongue that caused John to glance down at him. His sub's eyes were blown wider than Harry's, and from the way he was sucking and eyeing John's groin, it was obvious what he wanted. Since John had no objections, he slowly pulled his thumb free and guided Rodney's head forward, giving him permission.

With a happy sound, Rodney swallowed him down, settling in close. He started sucking and humming and purring almost immediately.

John made a pleased noise, looking back up at Peter. "So what's on your agenda for today? We've been playing it mostly by ear. I've tried to get us out at least a little every day for some exercise."

"Rest and relaxation," Peter said with a shrug. "Don't have any specific plans. We slept in this morning, tried to adjust a little to the time change."

"Yeah, that's always the hardest part." Movement in the corner of his eye made John look back over at Harry.

He was sitting on the edge of the chair, hands clenched into fists, his eyes focused on Rodney, on what Rodney was doing. He looked about one step away from dropping to his knees and crawling over to John.

John felt a little bad for him. He wanted to help, but he was pretty sure Peter wouldn't welcome it. He looked at his friend, question in his eyes. "If you need to take him somewhere else, it won't hurt my feelings. I don't want to be the cause of problems between you."

"No. Harry will be fine. We had this discussion this morning and I'm not changing my mind," Peter said, the last few words firm and obviously directed at Harry.

Harry actually whimpered, and John could see the tremors that were working their way through his friend's frame. John caressed Rodney's shoulder, needing to comfort someone. His sub just purred at the connection.

"If I need to discuss it again now, you know we're not going to be happy," Peter said, his voice dropping. "We've been through it."

"I..." Harry was panting softly, still shaking. "Please... Peter..."

"What did I tell you this morning?"

Harry turned pleading eyes on Peter. "Just a little? I..." John had never seen Harry so desperate and needy. Usually his friend was so much in control of himself.

Peter simply repeated his question, his voice harder. "What did I tell you this morning?"

"T...that we weren't going to play the hardcore games. B…but. I just... On my knees? Let me, maybe just, just my head on your leg?" Harry's pupils were large, and he was almost leaning out of the chair toward Peter, ready to drop to his knees immediately if he was given permission.

"What else?"

"W...what else..?" John could tell Harry had actually dropped fairly far into headspace already, whether Peter had wanted it or not. He wasn't completely tracking.

Peter enunciated instead of answering Harry's question. "What else did I say this morning?"

Harry actually moaned. "Th…that you didn't want me to ask anymore."

"Good."

Making a noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob, Harry picked at the food on the plate, slowly raising one piece to his mouth. John watched quietly, still petting his own lover, who was mostly just holding John in his mouth, sucking softly. As far as John could tell, Rodney was completely unaware of anything else.

Something was up with his two friends and John was reluctant to get in the middle. Peter turned a tight smile on John. "Sorry about that."

John shrugged. "Not a problem. You know I'm always here to listen if you want me to. In the meantime, have you tried these things?" He pointed to one of the fruits, giving Peter a subject change if he wanted it.

"There's nothing to talk about," Peter said offhandedly as he reached for the fruit John had pointed out. "Harry simply forgets himself at times. He also needs to remember that not everything we do revolves around sex."

Choosing his words carefully, John chewed on a piece of fruit himself. "Does he drop this deep into headspace very often? I actually had a hard time getting Rodney to go down and stay there this time."

"All the time. It can be…inconvenient."

"He didn't used to, did he? I've never seen him like this before."

"We usually keep this part of our relationship private," Peter said, his eyes drifting over to Harry, affection and annoyance on his face. Ah ha. So that was part of the problem.

John's expression softened a bit. "You're not really comfortable with this kind of public display? Tell me if anything I do makes you uncomfortable, okay? You know I'm an exhibitionist and being in a place like this just enhances that."

"You're fine," he said waving his hand.

John smiled. Good, so Peter was still okay with John and Rodney being openly sexual, he just didn't want to do it with Harry. Well, for Harry's sake, John hoped his friend unbent at least a little and tried something new while they were here. "I haven't had a chance to do much exploring. If you're interested, care to go for a walk later? See what else this place has to offer besides the restaurants and the beach?"

"Sure. Whatever you'd like. I can give you a few minutes to pull on some clothes and we can head out."

John nodded, and put a thumb under Rodney's chin, tilting his head up slightly without forcing him to pull off. "Make me come."

Rodney's happy sound nearly drowned out Harry's painful whimper. Almost. But once Rodney set his mind to something, it didn't take him long to see it through to the end. Two minutes later John was panting with his release, catching his breath as his sub cleaned him up with gentle licks and kisses.

John slowly came back down, easing his grip in Rodney's hair to soft petting. "Good boy," he murmured.

The soft sound of kissing dragged his attention to his friends, discovering Peter's hands gently holding Harry's face as they kissed.

Good. He was glad Peter was giving Harry something. As for Harry, he had practically climbed into Peter's lap, and from the looks of it, was doing his best to climb into his lover. John looked back down at Rodney, who was still holding him in his mouth. He very gently pulled his sub off. "Stand up and come with me. We'll give them a minute while I pull on some pants."

Rodney nodded, eyes sliding to the side for a moment before returning to John. He stood easily with John's help, hand sliding into John's, threading his fingers through John's.

They moved into the bedroom, where John sat his sub on the edge of the bed. Going to his knees, he licked at the leaking erection. "Because you've been so good, I'm going to give you a choice. You can come now, but you won't be allowed to come again today. Or you can wait, and you'll come at least once today, but it will be whenever I feel like it."

"I can wait," Rodney said with barely a thought, his voice quiet. "Can you…" he paused, licking his lips. "Could you add some more?" he finally asked, holding out his hands to John.

John rose, kissing him softly. "I was planning on it. We're going to take a walk with Harry and Peter, and I'm not letting you out without more of a claim on your body than we need in the suite."

"Thank you," Rodney smiled, nipping at John's lip.

They kissed a bit more, then John moved away. He pulled on a pair of boxers and jeans, not bothering with a shirt. For Rodney, he got out the rubber arm and thigh cuffs that matched the wrist and ankle cuffs he already wore, as well as a soft gag and the leash. Before he put them on, however, he eyed his sub's shoulder. "Hold still. Your mark is fading."

Rodney's happy noise when he realized what John was doing was just perfect.

Closing his mouth around the spot, John sucked and bit until it was dark and purple again, vibrant against Rodney's pale skin. Letting the skin slip from between his lips, John kissed it gently. "Mine."

His sub was breathing heavily, hands resting against the skin at John's waist. "Yours, yes, John, all yours."

"Good boy." John whispered the praise, claiming Rodney's mouth again for a brief, hard kiss. Then he stood back to attach the new cuffs, locking Rodney's arms behind his back. If they stopped anywhere, he would use the thigh cuffs to secure his sub with his legs forced open wide for John's viewing pleasure.

Rodney was trembling, moaning quietly as John finished locking his hands together. "So beautiful..."

"More?" Rodney panted.

"Later." John smiled. "For now, that's enough." He fitted the gag in place before Rodney could object.

He secured it in place and then with a finger under his sub's chin, raised his head, meeting Rodney's eyes.

"You're going to follow me, staying just to my right and behind me, on the leash. You are allowed to look around, but you will not acknowledge anyone but me unless I give you explicit permission. You will stay hard and leaking and ready for when I decide I want you to come."

Rodney nodded, understanding in his aroused eyes.

"Good. If you obey and are good while we walk, when we come back, I'll give you a reward. If you're not well-behaved, you won't get that reward." John's smile softened. "One of the items on the room service menu is melted chocolate. The good stuff. Your reward, so you know what you're playing for, is that I'll get it, and let you lick it off various places on my body. If you're very good, I'll even let you pick one of the places you get to lick first."

His sub's eyes widened and he moaned quietly, shifting to press himself against John's body.

With a husky chuckle, John snapped the leash into place.

Rodney moaned again, pressing his face into John's neck. If he wasn't gagged, John knew he'd be placing small kissing along his collarbone. Instead he was snuffing into John's skin, the small happy noises making John smile.

"I love you, too, my pretty sub." John kissed the top of his head.

He continued for a while longer before finally relaxing into John with a contented sigh. Yes, this was how he wanted Rodney for the trip—eager, willing, pliant, happy, relaxed, and not fighting him every step of the way.

Smiling to himself, John gave a soft tug to the leash, wrapping it around his wrist. "Remember, stay behind me and just to my right."

John got a small nod as Rodney straightened up. He tugged him forward, heading back out into the main area of the house. Peter and Harry were sitting on the couch, cuddled together a little.

Glancing over, John caught Peter's eye. "Ready when you are."

"I thought you were getting ready," he asked, his eyes taking in both of them, lingering on Rodney for a few seconds longer.

"We were." John grinned a little. "Rodney has his orders."

"You're going out like that?"

John glanced down at himself—he was in a comfortable pair of jeans that showed off his body nicely, and Rodney was beautiful in his cuffs. Looking back up, John gave Peter a puzzled expression. "Why wouldn't I?"

Peter shook his head as he rose to his feet, Harry standing a moment later, fingers threaded through Peter's. "I thought you said…" Harry began quietly, only to stop when Peter's hand tightened a little.

Raising an eyebrow, John glanced at them. "Did you need me to take longer so you can neck a bit more?"

"No, we're done," Peter said firmly, shifting around the coffee table as he moved toward the door. Harry looked over his shoulder mouthing the word "sorry" as he moved with his partner. It seemed like he was no longer in headspace so they'd managed to take care of that while John and Rodney were getting ready. But Harry was still very subdued—compared to how he normally was. There was obviously trouble in paradise.

John decided if he got the chance, he would try to chat with Harry and see if there was anything he could do to help. In the meantime, he started walking, pleased when Rodney stayed right with him.

Peter led them toward the beach, the waves breaking on a sandbar a few feet from the shore. It was absolutely beautiful here. "So, you've been well?" Peter finally asked, glancing over at John, his eyes not straying to Rodney at all.

They had slowed, everyone enjoying the cool breeze. "I am now. We've had our share of problems and issues we've had to deal with, but somehow it's a lot easier when I know I have Rodney to go home to. How about you guys? How is the club doing? Did you get the last pictures I sent you a few weeks ago of my team?"

"Pictures?" Peter asked, sidestepping the other questions.

John let it drop. For now. "I sent you three digital shots a few weeks ago. Two of me and Rodney, and one of all four members of my team—us, and Teyla and Ronon."

Peter shook his head. "Besides your request to get a hotel reservation booked, I really haven't seen much from you."

John blinked. "I've been sending you emails about once a month or so."

"I think we've gotten three. One from you and two from Rodney."

John rolled his eyes. "The censors are probably holding them up. They have to make sure we aren't revealing any classified information. Don't be surprised if one day you open your inbox to find a whole slew of them."

"It's okay if you just don't get around to writing, John. You don't have to make any excuses."

John shot him a look. "I'm not making excuses. I really did write to you. When I didn't hear back, I just figured your replies were getting held up. It can take me months to get replies sometimes."

"Peter," Harry said quietly, his tone holding a note of warning.

John glanced at both of them, blowing out a breath of air. "Look, I really did write. And I really don't want to fight with you guys. I have no idea what's going on here, but I'm here to enjoy my vacation with my sub and lover. I'd prefer to do it with the people I consider family, but if you really don't want to be here..."

"We want to be here," Harry said, speaking up again, his eyes narrowing at Peter. "Some of us just have issues unwinding."

John shook his head, looking straight at Peter. "You've always been there for me, and offered me advice. Even when I didn't necessarily want to hear it, I always listened and never got angry at you, even if I disagreed. Are you willing to do me the same courtesy now?"

"You've gotten angry," Peter said, stopping in the middle of the beach, turning to face John.

"Okay," John grinned ruefully. "I may have gotten angry at first, but I always thought about what you said, and I always considered it. And I always apologized later. The point is that I want to turn the tables and give you a little frank advice, but I also don't want to offend you. You're my friend and family, and I want to help, but not if it will strain our relationship."

"So I need advice, now?" Peter asked, narrowing his eyes at John, his body already tensing.

"Just listen to him, Peter," Harry hissed.

Sighing, John tried to keep his own body language as non-confrontational as possible. "You always take care of everyone else. Harry, me, Roger, Sue, and a host of others. You're the rock we all know we can depend on when things are rough. But I don't think you've let yourself lean on anyone else in a while. I know you do some with Harry, but from what I'm seeing, even since the last time we were together, you're starting to wall yourself off. I could offer ideas on helping you let go, but for now I'll leave it at that. You have people who care about you Peter. Let them help you sometimes. We get as much pleasure out of it as you do helping us."

"There's nothing wrong," Peter said immediately, rolling his eyes.

"Not specifically, no. But you're very tense, and you're pushing Harry away. Even with me, I don't think I've ever seen you get this defensive over anything. Just think about it, okay?"

"Are you done?"

"For now." John smiled at him, sauntering forward. "I reserve the right to speak my mind later though."

"Hasn't stopped you before," Peter said, turning to walk down the beach again.

"Ahh, but right now I'm in top mode. You've never really seen me like this before." Feeling cheeky, John slapped Peter's ass, smirking when the other man stopped and gawked at him a bit. With Rodney a step behind him, John just kept walking.

When Peter and Harry didn't follow, John turned, surprised to see the anger on his friend's face.

Rolling his eyes, John sighed again. "This is what I'm talking about. You're wound so tight, you're letting something like a little teasing piss you off. Since I really rather not get into a big fight with you, I'm going to keep walking with my sub. If you want to join me, great. If you'd rather not, I'll catch you guys later. Maybe for dinner if you're up for it."

Peter held John's gaze for a moment before turning on his heel, heading in the opposite direction. Harry's sad and apologetic glance over his shoulder told John all he needed to know. A few seconds later he felt Rodney step closer to him, pressing his body along John's right side.

Turning his head, John pressed a kiss into Rodney's forehead. "With any luck, once he cools down, he'll really think about what I said. In the meantime, we're going to continue our walk."

Rodney nodded, keeping in contact with John, obviously trying to comfort him in the only way he could.

Smiling, John pressed his lips to his sub again. "It will be okay. In fact..." Turning, John went to his knees, licking Rodney's length. "I think I want to make you come now."

Rodney groaned, a shudder rolling through his body as soon as John's tongue touched his erect cock.

Licking almost delicately at first, John savored the taste of his sub. When Rodney was reduced to one continuous moan, he finally, slowly, swallowed him down.

He could feel Rodney trembling, shaking as he tried to stay on his feet while the sensations of pleasure raced through his body. Standing in the middle of the beach, there was nothing for him to lean on, to latch onto. It made it that much harder, but also that much better.

Taking pity on him, John began to work him faster, harder. He broke only to look up and tell Rodney he could come when the ring loosened, before going back to using his mouth to pleasure the man he loved.

Between the sounds his lover was making, the sound of the ocean, this was close to perfect. Having sex outside on a beach where everyone could watch them. He moaned around Rodney's cock, his own getting heavy with arousal.

He needed to taste Rodney. With a mental flick he loosened the ring, sucking hard at the same time.

With a whimpering cry, Rodney climaxed a few moments later, John's hands on his hips steadying him, keeping him upright. Aftershocks rolled through his body one after the other, pulling pleasure-filled moaned from him, only muffled by the gag.

John continued to suck lightly until Rodney started to twitch. He tightened the ring back down, pulling off with a slow pop. Licking his lips, John kissed the very tip of his sub's erection.

Rodney whimpered, tugging a little at the bonds holding his hands behind his back. His head was hanging down and he was panting around the gag, still recovering from his orgasm. He looked wrecked and beautiful like this.

With a last little lick, John stood, his own dick now aching and heavy between his legs. He ignored it for now, stepping close to Rodney, pulling him into his arms and kissing his forehead. "You're beautiful. So beautiful."

His sub huddled in close, leaning heavily on John, letting him support his weight. John could feel the thumping of Rodney's heart, could feels the small tremors still rolling through his body. Apparently it had been pretty good—at least from the evidence at hand.

Rodney shifted slightly, rocking against John and managing to unintentionally send sparks through his top.

John sucked in a shuddering breath, lowering his head and biting against Rodney's shoulder.

The happy noise from his sub would have been comical if he hadn't rocked against him again and again. John's cock was pressing hard against the fabric of his boxers and jeans, the thick edge of zipper and fabric right against the tip.

Panting hard, John moaned softly. This was good, so good.

Rodney continued rocking against him, moving only his hips so John's mouth would stay in contact with his shoulder.

John kept biting down, leaving a trail of little pleasure marks along Rodney's shoulder as his body ramped up further and further. He was going to have to pull himself out soon if he didn't want to come in his pants.

His sub was certainly determined, rocking against him harder and harder, breathing heavily around the gag in his mouth. John's hands drifted down, cupping his ass cheeks, tugging Rodney closer as he ground into his sub.

His orgasm was rushing up too fast to stop now. With a cry and a harder bite down against Rodney's skin, John shuddered through his release, jeans and boxers getting more than a little damp inside.

Rodney moaned in his ear, happy and content noises. John's knees weakened and he gradually lowered them to the ground, ending up on his back with Rodney sprawled over him. They were on the wet sand, the waves licking at the edges of their bodies.

John curled one leg around Rodney, pulling them even closer together. He hummed softly, content and relaxed with his sub in his arms.

The sound of the ocean, the gentle touch of the waves as they washed over their legs and side, and the feel of his lover like this… Rodney cuddled in closer to John, snuffing quietly along his neck.

Reaching around, John used one hand to unbuckle the gag, wanting lazy kisses and the soft nibbles against his neck that he knew his sub would make.

It took a few tries to actually get the gag out of Rodney's mouth, his sub so intent on what he was already doing. But the sound of pleasure in his sub's voice with just one word—"John"—and he knew that it was perfect. Rodney immediately dove in, pressing kisses and licks along John's neck and jaw, murmuring quiet words the whole while.

John just let his hand drift down and over Rodney's back, caressing him. He tilted his head to give his sub both access and permission.

Rodney kissed and licked and nibbled on every patch of skin he could reach, purring and moaning quietly in between his own whispered words ghosting over skin. The tide was coming in, washing over them a little higher every few minutes. A strong wave crashed against them, pulling a surprised cry from his sub—but he didn't stop what he was doing.

It was actually kind of nice, the cool water against their heated skin. They were going to need another shower, but John was okay with that. For now, he got in a few of his own nibbles, loving the clean taste of Rodney on his tongue.

His sub shifted finally letting their mouths mold together in a deep kiss, each of them moaning at the contact.

It was slow and lazy and dirty and absolutely perfect. John cupped Rodney's ass, loving the way it fit in his hands, pulling him closer.

Rodney growled, low in his throat, spreading his legs. Neither of them were hard but it didn't matter.

A bigger wave broke over them, so John knew it was time to move. Slowly, reluctantly, he gentled the kiss.

"Little longer," Rodney whispered against his lips, nipping at the bottom one.

"Mmm." John arched up into his sub. "We can move to the cabana chair. Not as wet."

"This is good."

Chuckling, John squeezed his sub's ass again. "Very good."

"Mmm," Rodney growled, trailing kisses and nips along John's jaw toward his ear. "Really good." Another wave broke over them, but Rodney didn't stop, his mouth sliding back to meet John's lips. They were deep in another kiss when the next wave hit, washing over them completely.

It was a lot more sensual than John thought it had any right to be. His cock was making a valiant attempt to rise to the occasion again. All he wanted was to be closer, to keep kissing forever.

When the next wave doused them, Rodney moaned into the kiss, grinding down into John. He could feel his sub's half-hard erection pressed into the crease of his leg and body. John tightened his grip on Rodney's ass, pulling him closer, dragging another moan from his sub.

He wished he had the leverage and coordination to free Rodney's hands, so he could feel them on his body. For now, he arched up again, wanting to feel Rodney.

They were nearly devouring each other, making out with a determination and desperation that onlookers probably thought they'd gone without for weeks or months and not just come less than an hour before. Two waves washed over them in rapid succession and it was nearly too much, but the added thrill only increased his own arousal.

With a growl, John flipped them, needing to free himself from the tight confines of the jeans, needing to get his hands on Rodney's body. He managed it without breaking the kiss, the soft sand perfectly adjusting to the way Rodney's hands were tied; it was nice to know he wouldn't have to worry about that.

Another wave washed over them as he fumbled with his jeans, the zipping sticking a little in the soaking wet fabric. Rodney was moaning, arching into him, desperate for more sensation.

With a small, desperate noise, John finally got them open, shoving them down along with his boxers so their cocks could rub right up against each other.

Rodney's moan of pleasure was drowned in John's own as soon as skin touched skin. Another wave doused them, the retreating water still touching their feet. They didn't have much more time before the ocean would overtake them.

John started to thrust, grinding against his lover, panting again, this time into Rodney's mouth.

His sub nipped at John's lip, stroking John's tongue with his own, arching into him.

When he realized the water was pretty much covering their feet, John reluctantly pulled back. "Need to move so we don't drown."

"Nonono, we're good…please," Rodney begged, lifting his head, chasing after John's mouth.

Moaning, John was helpless to resist his pretty sub when he got like this. Lowering his head, John captured Rodney's mouth again, plundering it.

Rodney squeaked a little when the next wave hit, but it didn't stop him from arching into John's body, didn't stop him from kissing John back.

Neither of them was going to be able to come again this fast—they were both only half-hard even now. With a growl, John pulled up again. "We're moving this two feet up the beach."

"John, no…" Rodney begged, his eyes wide and fully blown out.

Kissing his sub's forehead, John was sure he looked just as wrecked. "We're not stopping. Just moving so we can continue for as long as we want."

"Please," he begged, arching into John. It's then when he realized that Rodney might not be tracking all that well.

"Shhh. It's okay. I'm not going anywhere." John rolled off, reaching down to tug Rodney to his knees. Since they weren't going far, he didn't try for more. Instead, John walked back a few feet, out of the path of the waves, and sat down, legs and arms spread wide. "Come here."

Rodney whimpered, still on his knees a few feet back. His eyes might be open, but they weren't seeing much. "John…please…" The next wave that hit, nearly knocked him down.

"Rodney, buddy. I'm here. Come here to me. Crawl over, and let me hold you and kiss you and love you."

"John, please…I'll be good, I promise…"

Sitting back up, John moved back to his sub, cupping his face in his hand. "You are good. Very, very good. Move with me, buddy. Follow me, and then you'll be back in my arms again."

Rodney quiet sob, nearly broke his heart as his sub leaned into him, body trembling. He hadn't realized how close to the surface Rodney's emotions were like this.

"Shhh. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." Another wave swamped them both, but Rodney more because he was still on his knees. John got his fingers around the leash and took a small step back, tugging on it to urge Rodney forward.

He moved, slowly, another wave hitting the middle of his back. If it wasn't for John's hold on the leash he would have gone down. Okay. Time to really move.

One step at a time, John walked them backward. Finally, they were clear of the waves, and above where he judged the high water line to be. Sinking back down, John gathered his lover into his arms again, whispering soft praise and encouragement.

Rodney huddled into John, shivering.

Running his hands all over his sub's body, John found his mouth again and kissed him gently, sweetly.

He moaned, rubbing against John, the dry sand sticking to them. When John's hands reached his ass, Rodney groaned loudly, lost again in the pleasure.

Good. John would rather he be lost because of pleasure, and not distress. Rolling them again, so Rodney was once more on the bottom, John trailed kisses down his lover's neck, working his way down to a nipple.

The sand hadn't made it that far, John realized, grateful. He wasn't really looking forward to a mouthful. God, they were going to need a shower after this or else they were going to have sand in every crevasse. He kissed a pink patch of skin on his way south, but then realized what his eyes had seen. Pink skin.

He hadn't put sunscreen on this morning.

Fuck. With a sigh, John sat up, making sure the leash was firmly in his hand. "Stand up. We're taking this back to the room where I can ravish you properly."

Rodney whimpered even as he followed when John tugged him upright, trying to lean into his top, trying to get contact.

John made it easy for him, moving closer, letting one hand drift down to Rodney's ass even as he started to lead him forward. "Going to take you back to the room and into the shower. Going to tie you up and wash you, then fuck you raw. Then I'm going to take you back to bed and kiss you all afternoon."

"Yes, please," he whispered, lips brushing John's jaw.

As they walked, John was vaguely aware that other people were around, but he didn't pay much attention to them. He was too busy petting and reassuring his sub.

It was hard to juggle his clothes while comforting and touching and leading Rodney, but he didn't care. He didn't want to hear that lost sound again.

Fortunately, they really hadn't gotten all that far before Peter had gotten huffy on him. John felt bad for Harry, and hoped whatever this was would blow over fast. He didn't want to cause a rift with his friends. For now, he was just grateful to be back in the suite.

It was several degrees cooler inside and it looked like the cleaning staff had already been through. Had they been waiting at the door to come inside as soon as they left? John slowly led Rodney into the master suite, kissing and petting him along the way. He dropped his clothes in a pile in the corner. He'd worry about them later.

Unsnapping the leash, which was the only thing that couldn't go in the shower, John hooked a finger through the ring on the collar to continue to tug his sub forward, into the large shower. There, he quickly released Rodney's hands from behind his back, and re-secured them above his head, attached to the bar there.

Rodney moaned as he shifted forward trying to follow John as he moved, only to be stopped short. "John…"

"Shhh. I'm here, buddy." Starting the water, John pressed against his sub's body, kissing him lightly. "First I need to wash the sand away."

"Don't leave me, please…"

"Never. I'll never leave you."

"Good…" he whispered, nodding to himself, his foot trailing up the side of John's leg. "Good."

Using the washcloth with a little soap, John kept them pressed as tightly together as he could while he washed away the sand and salt. He kept his touches sensual, full of promise.

Rodney's eyes had closed as he nuzzled into John's neck, pressing kisses to the skin. The urgency had faded leaving behind the sweetness of lovers.

Once they were grit-free, John enjoyed just touching again, running his hands and mouth all over his partner's body. He was hard now, as was Rodney, but neither of them seemed willing to take their release—if the soft content sounds from his sub were any indication, that is.

Revising his earlier plan, John shut off the water, unlocking Rodney and taking his hand to lead him into the bedroom. There, he pulled the other man into the bed with him, settling his sub between his legs. "Touch me. I want your hands all over me."

Rodney's face brightened, his eyes focusing on John's body, on the exact space of skin his finger or hand was touching. "So amazing…" he whispered.

John's breath caught in his throat. Rodney was just... he was just... No one had ever looked at John this way before, had ever made him feel so cherished. He was so fucking lucky to have this man as his sub, partner, and lover. "All yours, as much as you're mine."

He began mapping each and every inch of skin, with fingers, eyes, and lips, his attention focused only on what was in front of him to the exclusion of everything else. He whispered words and phrases, benedictions of love and praise and protection. This was not about sex any longer. It was about their love, their connection.

John wanted to give Rodney this. Wanted him to have the time to touch and taste—he enjoyed it as much as John did, but didn't get to indulge as often. So John sat back, offering himself up, caressing and kissing any piece of his lover that came close enough to reach without jarring him.

It was when Rodney was somewhere around his left knee that he heard the creak of the floor, glancing to the door to find Peter standing there, hesitating. "The door was open," he whispered, gesturing behind him.

John hummed, waving a lazy hand. "S'okay." Blinking a few times, John sat up slowly, careful not to move away from his lover. He doubted Rodney was even aware of Peter, and wouldn't care as long as he was allowed to continue what he was doing.

"I…have you seen Harry?"

That snapped John more fully to attention. "No. Last I saw he was following you. What happened?"

Peter's cheeks colored a little. "We had a…discussion. He said he was going for a walk. I thought he might have come here."

John shook his head. "Hang on, we'll help you look for him. There are a few places he could have gone, but a sub by himself in a place like this is asking for trouble, even if he's not as hardcore as some of the others." John gently cupped Rodney's face, tipping his head up.

Rodney's eyes were nearly all pupil, a very small ring of blue around the outside. He moaned quietly, shifting forward, his eyes focused on John's lips.

Smiling, John leaned forward to brush a kiss across his lover's lips. "We're going for another walk now. Sit up for me. If you're good, when we get back, I'll get the chocolate I promised you earlier."

He obeyed John immediately, but John could see the disappointment in his eyes. "…wasn't finished."

"I know you weren't, buddy." John kissed him lightly again. "I'll let you finish later, I promise. If it wasn't important, I wouldn't stop you now."

His sub's quiet "…just getting to the good parts" made him smile.

"But think how much fun you'll have later, when you can start from the beginning and work your way there again. Twice as much pleasure, all for your taking." With another little kiss, John slid off the bed, looking around for a clean pair of jeans and the leash he had dropped earlier.

Peter was standing by the door, watching them quietly. Rodney's eyes followed John around the room, pausing for a moment when he saw Peter. He tilted his head to the side and glanced at John, and then back again. "Are you going to yell again?"

Returning to Rodney's side, now clad in tight denim, John snapped the leash on. "No. We're going to help him find Harry, who's wandered off. Well, I am. You're coming because I don't want you out of arms reach." He kissed Rodney softly again.

"I didn't like what he said before," Rodney said, eyes narrowing at Peter. Apparently Rodney could still track some things when he was this far into headspace.

John cupped Rodney's face, forcing his sub to look at him and nothing else. "I know he'll apologize later. But for now none of that matters. He and I will talk later, right now I want to help him find Harry, since on a lot of levels he has a sub mentality and I don't want him to get hurt if someone tries to use it against him without his partner there to step in. I want you to stay close to me, like before. If you need the gag to help you stay in headspace, tell me now."

"Can you bring it?"

Nodding, John kissed him once, hard, fierce, with as much promise as he could put in it. That they would continue what they had been doing later, that he understood Rodney didn't like it when John was upset, everything.

He moaned into the kiss, panting when John finally broke it off. They held that position for a long moment before John moved to stand once again. Rodney, though, grabbed his arm, pulling him back toward him, his lips grazing his ear as he whispered. "Will you still fuck me later? Like you promised?"

John hummed. "Of course. I never break a promise. There is fucking and chocolate and body worship all in our future this evening."

Rodney smiled up at him, eyes more blue than black now, but still bright and happy. "Good, good. I just…" The words trailed off, but John knew the rest of the sentence. Rodney needed to make sure, needed to hear it. God. If he ever met Rodney's parents or his past lovers, he certainly had a few bones to pick with them.

Caressing his face one last time, John smiled softly. "Mine for life, remember. I'll always take care of you. Always."

His sub nodded, pressing a small kiss to John's thumb as it passed by his lips. "We need to go, don't we?"

With another smile, John tugged on the leash, detouring slightly to grab the gag and stuff it in his pocket for now. He then finally looked at Peter. "All right, how long as he been gone, and where have you looked?"

Peter shook himself, his eyes shifting from Rodney back to John. "Just here. I didn't think he'd really go wandering by himself."

"I'm surprised he did," John said as they headed out the door. "That must have been some discussion."

"Argument," Rodney whispered behind him.

John glanced back with a slight grin. "I was trying to be polite about it."

Rodney hummed quietly. "He wasn't."

Chuckling, John shrugged then looked back at Peter. "We'll try the restaurant if you want to try the beach."

"I…sure," Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I deserved that, I know."

Reaching over, John patted his shoulder. "We all have bad days. You and I will talk later. Right now, let's find Harry before he gets himself into trouble."

"We're at a _resort_ ," Rodney said quietly, emphasizing the last word. And John got the vague impression that the words "you idiot" should be added to the end of the sentence.

John shook his head. "We're at a BDSM resort, and he's a sub wandering around without his top. As I said, most people will leave him alone, but there are a few.... more unsavory people who might not. I'd be more comfortable knowing he's back with Peter sooner rather than later." He gave a little tug to the leash to pull Rodney along.

"He's an adult."

"No arguing with me, buddy."

Rodney scowled, but subsided, following John. His arms were folded across his chest as he walked and he was purposely keeping his distance from Peter.

They split at the beach, with John and Rodney heading toward the restaurant. As they approached, John heard Harry's voice... and it sounded a little unsettled. Turning the corner, he saw his friend more or less cornered by the large man who had tried to convince John to let him fuck Rodney the first day. "Hey, what's going on here?"

"None of your business," Arnold said, glancing over his shoulder.

"I'm making it my business. He belongs to a friend of mine." Stepping closer, John could see Harry was uncomfortable. "Peter is looking for you. He's worried sick."

"Then your friend shouldn't have let him out of his sight." He leaned in closer, whispering something in Harry's ear that made him jerk back.

"That's between them, and none of your business." John held out a hand. "Harry, come here. I'm taking you back to Peter now. He's down on the beach looking for you."

When Harry went to move, Arnold's hand landed on his shoulder, pressing him against the wall, holding him in place. "I don't think so."

"Get your hands off him. He doesn't belong to you. In the absence of his top, and as a family friend, he's mine to protect."

"He's not marked. Means he's up for grabs and he's mine now."

"I don't think so. Just because he isn't displaying his mark doesn't mean he doesn't have one. Get your hands off him." John took another step forward. "You have your own sub—go terrorize him."

"My subs are currently occupied. How about a trade? You can get him," he said, squeezing the hand that was on Harry's shoulder, "and I get the sweet piece of ass behind you."

John's eyes narrowed. "That's not an option, as I'm pretty sure I've already made clear. And I'm pretty sure I told you to get your hands off him. Don't make me do something you'll regret."

"I don't do anything I regret."

"If you don't walk away now, you won't be able to. This is your last warning. Get your hands off him."

Rodney was standing silently behind him, but John could feel his sub watching everything intently. Arnold held John's gaze for a long moment before shifting closer to Harry, pressing along his side.

Fine. If this was what this fucker wanted. Slowly John unwrapped the leash from around his wrist, handing it to Rodney. "Hold this—it won't take me long." Given this was a BDSM resort and there were toys everywhere, John was able to grab a spreader bar that had been left nearby. He twirled it, his body already dropping into a ready position. "Last chance. Walk away or I am going to hurt you."

Arnold regarded him coolly, his hand stroking along Harry's neck, thumb grazing the vulnerable area. "If you lay one finger on me I'll have you thrown out of this resort so fast you won't be able to grab your luggage or your sub. They don't appreciate the guests fighting."

"I'm not fighting. I'm defending what's mine. Which I have every right to do. I've given you more than ample warning and opportunity to get your fucking hands off him."

"Not yours," Arnold said with a cruel smile, finger still stroking. Harry was trembling, trying to remain completely still.

"Yes, actually, he is. I've known him for a number of years, and in his top's absence, I have the authority to step in." That was close enough to the truth to hold up, and John was pretty sure Peter would understand.

"Ah ah ah. He said otherwise. Told me he didn't have a top," Arnold said, pressing slightly against his neck.

John moved, pushing the tip of the pole against Arnold's throat before the other man had a chance to react. "I say otherwise. And even if he didn't have a top, I heard him refusing your advances when I came around the corner. That means you back off."

Arnold didn't budge. "He's playing hard to get. They all do."

"I can't do anything about the way you treat you own subs, but you don't get this one. He's not playing hard to get, he's outright refusing you. I really don't want to hurt you, but my patience is starting to run out." John pressed in against the pulse point.

The man reached out, grabbing the bar, moving it easily away from his throat. He was apparently more than just a pretty face and seemingly had more muscles than Ronon. "As is mine."

Fine. He wanted to do it the hard way. John was a soldier, and while he let others believe otherwise most of the time, he knew how to use his body. He moved swiftly, grabbing and twisting, using enough force to startle Arnold into dropping his grip on Harry, but not enough to break anything. Yet. With one sharp pull, John had Harry back behind him, with Rodney. He kept himself in the ready position, muscles in a state of tense looseness, ready to move and strike. His training with Teyla and Ronon taking over—he was facing an enemy now.

Arnold's face had darkened, his anger rising. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I gave you plenty of opportunity to do this the easy way. You can still walk away, no harm done."

"Oh, the harm's done," he said, moving to the side, a few steps away from John. "This isn't finished."

John moved to keep himself between Arnold and the subs behind him. Vaguely, he was aware of Rodney speaking softly to Harry, comforting him it sounded like. "Learn to keep your hands off other people's property, and there isn't a problem at all."

"You should probably learn to sleep with one eye open from now on," he said threateningly as he slowly moved away. "I'm not one who takes no for an answer. I get what I want."

John didn't respond, just kept his eyes narrowed, his posture ready.

Arnold walked away easily, not even looking back.

Slowly, John set the bar back down, watching the path for another moment before turning back to Rodney and Harry. He took the leash back from his sub, pulling him close, needing the contact, even as he reached out to Harry. "Are you okay?"

Harry nodded, swallowing thickly. "Yes, fine. Apart from what you saw, he didn't touch me." Rodney had cuddled in close to John, wrapping his arm around his waist.

Reaching out, John traced the faint bruise already starting to form where Arnold had pressed his thumb. "Let's get you back to Peter. I'll feel better when you're under his protection again. You have to be careful in a place like this. Most tops are courteous, but I've run into this guy once before already. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"It's supposed to be safe and open," Harry protested, his eyes closing as John touched his skin. "Sue recommended it."

"And it is. Everyone else I've encountered has been great. I guess the resort has had trouble with this guy before. It was just your bad luck you ran into him when you weren't with Peter. Why did you go walking without him? He hinted you had a fight, but didn't give me any details."

"He's shortsighted and distracted," Harry said, his eyes popping open as he shifted away from John. "It's nothing. Just a bad time to go away right now."

John let his hand drop, smiling softly. "You know you can talk to me, right? And if things are rough, I can help, if you let me."

"I know," Harry said quietly, eyes sliding to Rodney and then beyond. "It's not new. We usually just make sure you don't see it."

With a sigh, John nodded. "This might be a good opportunity for you both then. A chance to get outside the comfort zones a bit. Why don't we walk down to the beach and find Peter? I wasn't kidding when I said he was worried. He looked... defeated when he came to see if you had come to our bungalow."

"He thought I went running to you?"

"I think he was hoping you would be there. Why?"

Harry sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "It's a very long story of which I'm not going to bore you with. Can we find Peter before he has a heart attack?"

"You wouldn't bore me, but I won't push." They started to walk toward the beach.

"Good plan," Harry said quietly, walking beside John, staying within an arm's length. Rodney was quiet on John's other side, walking a step or two behind him on the right.

John wanted to push, though. He wanted to find out why this usually energetic and almost magnetic man seemed so... lost. For now, he just tugged Rodney closer, taking comfort in his sub's presence.

They walked for a while on the beach, finally catching up with Peter who was talking to one of the resort employees, apparently explaining some of the situation.

"Peter." John called out, catching his attention.

He glanced over, eyes widening as soon as he caught sight of them. He waved off the resort employee and jogged over, immediately grabbing hold of Harry. "Are you insane? Don't do that again."

"He's had a bit of a rough afternoon," John warned. "I caught another top I had a run-in with the first day we were here trying to bully him."

Peter glanced over at John, not letting go of Harry's upper arms. "What do you mean?"

John nodded at Harry's neck. "He told the guy no, but apparently that wasn't what he wanted to hear. I had to force a confrontation to make him get his hands off Harry."

"Thank you," Peter said quietly, before turning back to Harry. "What were you thinking running off like that?"

To John's surprise, Harry just looked sad. "You didn't want me there."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to. You won't touch me, and all you ever do is yell at me anymore."

"We had sex last night when we got in. Is that me not touching you?"

"We have sex—we don't make love. And we never do anything else. We used to have fun in the bedroom, Peter. But now you just push me away." Harry started to pull away.

"Oh no, don't even think about it," he said, increasing his grip. "I'm giving you what I can. What else do you want from me?"

John felt Rodney press up along his side, arms wrapping around his waist. "We shouldn't be here," he whispered into John's ear.

John tore his eyes away from his friends. "You're right. Let's head back to the room. They can come find us later if they want to."

As they started to move away, John caught Harry's response. "I want you. All of you. Not just what you decide to let trickle through. You're shutting me out."

"We've been through this already," Peter said with a sigh. "Nothing's changed."

John didn't hear any more as they moved out of earshot. He and Rodney walked quietly together, pressed as tightly as they could be and still walk. "Love you."

"Love you, too," Rodney said. "I'm sorry about them."

"Nothing to be sorry about." John paused, leaning over to kiss Rodney softly.

His sub returned the kiss, just as gently, nibbling on John's bottom lip as he pulled away. "It hurts you to see them that way."

John nodded. "They're my friends and family. I hate to see them unhappy. But as we can attest, they have to find their own way. They love each other, so I'm confident they'll work it out. I hope. In the meantime, I believe we had chocolate, fucking, and body worship on the agenda for today. Think you can make me forget about anything but you?"

Rodney paused for a moment before he spoke again. "Are you sure you want to do that now?"

With a sigh, John nibbled again. "I don't want to think about it. I came here to relax and enjoy you, not to worry. Make me forget, for a little while at least."

"I can't work miracles, John," he said quietly, honestly. "Not with people."

That made John smile, and earned him another soft kiss. "I don't need a miracle. Just you. All I ever need is you."

He sighed, wrapping his arms around John and leaning in close. "I’m here, John, for whatever you want."

The smell of Rodney, deep and sensual, made John moan softly. "Let's go back to bed."

"Mmmm…you want me on my back again, hmm?"

"Always," John purred.

Rodney chuckled softly, easily. "What else do you want? You want my ass?"

John rocked his hips against Rodney's body. He loved when his sub talked dirty. "Want to be inside you. Have you sink down on me and stay there for hours."

"And what if I didn't want to? What then?" He asked, tilting his head, giving John a small, teasing smile.

"Mmm. I might have to tie you to the suspension bar above the bed, lower you down onto my cock, then secure you in place. Then I could thrust up whenever I felt like it, and you'd just have to take it."

"You could," Rodney nodded, his hands drifting down to John's ass, cupping it. "You can't get much of an angle that way, though. And really…logistically, how do you expect to do all of that with your cock in my ass?"

With a soft moan, John rocked back and then forward again. "Mmmm, because you'll be holding still for me?"

"Hmm…no, I don't think so," Rodney said, his voice low, teasing.

John's breath hitched as Rodney got one nipple between his fingers, squeezing lightly. "Mm, no? What would…would you suggest then?"

"I don't know," Rodney said, rolling the nipple as he licked his lips. "Someone turned off my brain a day ago. Nothing comes to mind."

"I think...I think you got interrupted earlier before you got to the good parts. I think you should start there."

"Earlier? Mmm…I'm not sure I remember." He chuckled quietly when John let out a soft moan as Rodney tugged at a nipple.

His brain was beginning to short out. "Bedroom. Now."

"But this is nice."

John's head fell back, and he panted for breath, trying to stay in control. "Mmm, better horizontal."

"Says the man who wants me vertical."

"Just want you. Period."

"You have me," Rodney said, tweaking John's nipple again.

John's cock was with the program, and was now almost painfully hard in his jeans. "Rodney...." he moaned softly.

"Mmm?" His sub tweaked it again. Damn it. He was such a tease.

Swallowing hard, John forced his eyes open—when had he closed them? "Bed. Now." He pulled a little on the leash.

Rodney leaned close, licking his lips deliberately. "Make. Me."

John grinned, forcing himself to back away from the temptation in front of him. With the leash as tightly held as he had it, he didn't have to go far to get it taut between them.

"Running away?" Rodney's mouth was twisted up in a teasing smile.

"Never." John tugged hard enough that Rodney had to take a step forward to keep his balance. "I'm just getting what I want. Which is you in my bed."

"Oh. So now we're back to the bed, huh?" Rodney asked, his eyes twinkling a little as he moved with John, keeping the leash taut between them.

John continued to walk backward, tugging at the same time. "When it comes to you, my thoughts are never far from beds and what we can do in them."

"How many rooms are in our cottage?"

"Including the bathroom, five—two bedrooms, kitchen, and a sitting/dining room. Why?"

"That's it?"

"What did you think?"

"I thought you might have splurged for the one with the full dungeon or something."

Chuckling, John shook his head. "Don't need it. We are very well stocked. All the rooms have connection points for pretty much any position I want you in, or idea I might have to play with you."

"And yet, we're always in bed."

"I like the bed." John continued to tug his sub forward. "But I'm open to suggestions."

"I don't really know my options."

"Hmm, well, there's suspension equipment and eye bolts pretty much everywhere. And pretty much any bondage or sex toy you can think of."

"Anything?"

"Anything. If it's not in the room already, I can call to the desk to get it."

"So you'll consider anything I want?"

John raised an eyebrow. They were back at the cottage, so he led Rodney inside. "Of course."

"Can I have a little bit to think about it?"

Stepping close again, John kissed his sub softly, taking the leash off since they were alone again. "Yes. In the meantime, I'm getting back out of these clothes. My dick aches."

"And we can't have that," Rodney said with a smile, his hand sliding down to cup John through his jeans.

Gasping, arousal flooded back in, making John moan deep in his throat.

"Do you need some help?" Rodney's voice was low, teasing, and aroused.

"Please..."

Rodney's hands were at his waist, his sure fingers unbuttoning the top button of John's jeans. The slow glide of the zipper eased some of the pressure—until Rodney's fingers wrapped around his cock that is.

John whined, hips thrusting helplessly as Rodney completely undid him.

A moment later, John felt a soft press of lips at the tip of his cock, his only warning before Rodney swallowed him down, deep-throating him.

With a strangled cry, John's knees almost buckled.

Rodney worked him easily, quickly bringing him to the edge of his climax before backing off. Over and over again, he did it until John swore his knees would give out and he would really collapse. With his hands in Rodney's hair, he stroked his sub, encouraging him to continue.

Finally, with another long moan, John was coming, hard, his knees finally giving up the ghost as his vision went white.

He came to on the floor in the middle of the cottage, Rodney's head pillowed on his stomach, his hand gently petting his chest.

"Mmmmmm."

Rodney shifted immediately, crawling closer, pressing his lips to John's. "Better?"

Knowing his smile was probably a little goofy, John nibbled back. "Much. You're the best sub ever. In history. How did I get so lucky?"

"Don't know. I ask the same question every single day."

Still smiling, John pulled him closer, kissing lazily.

"I was thinking," Rodney said quietly some time in between kisses.

"Yeah? About what you'd like to try?"

"Yes. About that."

"What did you decide?" John continued to press their lips together, loving the slow glide.

"I don't know if you're going to want to try it."

"Try me." John wanted to encourage Rodney to ask for what he wanted, and to want to explore new things.

"You said that they were probably really well stocked with…toys and things."

"They are."

Rodney was quiet for a long moment. "My…thought kind of revolves around the rubber stuff. Well, and one leather piece. I think."

"Tell me." John sat up, tugging Rodney so he was sitting between John's legs, his back to John's chest.

He sighed quietly, his body molding to John's, relaxing completely against him. "I remember seeing these…mitt things when we were in Vegas, at that store. They looked like they would fully encase a hand, securing it with a cuff around the wrist so that even if the sub wasn't restrained he still couldn't actually do anything with his hands…like try to untie a knot or something."

John sat quietly for a few moments, continuing to pet his sub. "I've never used them, but yes, I know what you're talking about. While I like tying you up and playing with you, and I'm willing to try new things, I don't want to lock your hands away for the rest of the vacation. I like having you touch me, too."

"I know and I like touching you, too. It's just that…" Rodney was quiet for a few moments, and John let him gather his thoughts. "It's just that sometimes I think I want more…something heavier or harder or…just more. I know you don't want that, really, so I don't want to push."

John kissed Rodney's forehead softly. "I'm not sure I'd be very good at topping you like that. I don't actually want to hurt you or stifle you, although I do want to help you find and stay in your headspace."

"I know. It was a bad idea. I shouldn't have mentioned it."

Cupping Rodney's face, John tilted it up. "No, it's never a bad idea to talk about things like this. I like hearing about what's going on in your head. The gloves I'm willing to get and try. However, I'll tell you now I don't want them on you the whole time. I guess it comes down to me wanting your submission because you choose to give it to me, not because I've forced you by taking away your choice. For me, it's sweeter knowing your surrender is voluntary, because you trust me to take care of you and love you."

Rodney's eyes were quiet. "I do trust you and I do want to submit to you, but sometimes…sometimes when you take away my choices, my options, it's just…it's different and better in some ways."

"I don't mind playing hard, but I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with some of the more extreme bondage techniques. The hoods and such are interesting to look at, but I love seeing you. Your eyes, your mouth, your reactions to what I'm doing to you. Same with the mitts—I like touching your hands, feeling you touch me. I don't want this to always be about me tying you down—yes, it's a big part of our dynamic and I love it, but I do love being touched by you as much as I like being the one doing the touching."

"And I'm not asking for something that's all the time."

John nodded, leaning in to kiss his lover deeply. "I know. And I am willing to try. I just want you to know going in that it's not my favorite way to play, and I'm not sure I'll like it. But I am willing to try, for you."

"So you're going to tell me no when I ask if you would consider using a hood."

Chuckling, John brushed their lips together again. "Yeah, I'm just not interested in losing access to your face. I don't even really like gagging and blindfolding you, since then I can't kiss you, or see your beautiful eyes. But I know it helps you fall, so I'm willing to do it. The hood... I don't think I like."

Rodney's eyes dropped and he nodded. "Okay."

John sighed to himself. This was a vacation, it was supposed to be easy and fun, a chance for them to just enjoy each other. Instead he had other tops threatening him, his two closest friends at odds, and Rodney struggling to find his headspace and stay there. And now this.

His sub shifted, sliding his arms around John, pulling himself closer. He was quiet, his body relaxed against John.

Closing his eyes, John held Rodney close, slowly working his way down his own body, forcing himself to relax, let go.

A few minutes later John heard his sub's quiet whisper. "I'm sorry I upset you. I'll…whatever you want is fine with me."

Opening his eyes, John caught and held Rodney's gaze. "You didn't upset me, buddy. I already told you—I like that you're getting comfortable enough to suggest and ask for things. If anything, I feel bad that when you finally do, it's for something I don't know that I can give you."

"Then I shouldn't have asked."

"Yes, you should have. How else would you have known?"

Rodney shrugged. "I think I already knew."

"Still, I'd rather you ask me, so we can talk about it. Even if I don't think I can do it, I'd rather explain why, than just have you believe it's an arbitrary decision."

"Can we move to the couch or bed?"

"Or course." John sat up slowly. Since they were right next to the couch, they ended up there, with Rodney pulled tight against him. "I love you."

"Love you," Rodney whispered, shifting a few times until he obviously found a comfortable position, his body melting against John when it did.

John inhaled deeply, letting the smell and feel of Rodney calm and comfort him. He really, really hoped the rest of this vacation had no hitches. He was tired of feeling stressed and tired.

***

Rodney settled closer against John, breathing evenly. Honestly, he was disappointed. He had really been interested in trying something harder, something more extreme in terms of bondage, but John was obviously not interested. He'd kind of known it even before he asked—they'd touched on the subject a few times.

And even though he was…disappointed, he wasn't angry or even upset. It was John's decision, John's call. Yesterday he might have fought John about it, but now…now it didn't matter so much.

He sighed again quietly, letting his eyes slide closed as he relaxed, content to simply stay like this. His stomach, however, decided it was too quiet, grumbling quite loudly in the silence that had settled over them.

His top chuckled softly. "Hungry?"

"Think so," he replied, rubbing his cheek against John's chest, trying to scratch an itch without actually moving his hand.

He could hear his top's heart beating strong, as well as his rumble of amusement. "I think I need to feed you then."

The itch shifted, moving to a spot somewhere between his shoulder blades. "Probably. If you want."

John's hand slid down the curve of his shoulder, and across his back. "Let's go see what we have."

"Scratch there?"

Another chuckle, but then short-cropped nails were finding and scratching just the right spot.

"Mmmm," Rodney hummed. "Must be allergic to some of their detergent or something."

"I have our own toiletries in one of the bags. I'll pull them out and put it in the shower. Don't want you itchy."

"'kay," Rodney said, snuggling in closer to John.

Soft lips brushed the top of his head.

"I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable."

"You didn't. It's me who's sorry that I can't be the top you want me to be."

"There's no reason for you to feel bad. You're the boss. If you're not comfortable with it, it could be dangerous for me."

John's finger forced him to look up, although he didn't have to lift his head, just tilt it. "I just want you to be happy."

"I am," he answered simply, truthfully. He loved John, loved what they did, loved how he felt.

"Good." John's smile was soft.

Rodney's stomach growled again and he rolled his eyes. "Sorry."

John's smile got wider. "I'm feeling a bit peckish myself. Let's go raid the fridge."

"You're going to make me move?"

"While I wish I had use of The Force to get us a snack without moving, I'm afraid that's one skill I just don't have."

Rodney sighed quietly. "Why not?"

"Mmm, I'm just not that cool?"

"I'm sure you'd be able to on Atlantis."

John grinned. "Maybe. Although I'm not sure I could actually get the food to us. I could probably coax the city to open the fridge though. But that would still require us to move to go get it."

"I'm sure Atlantis would just beam it to you or something."

John chuckled again. "In the meantime, however, we have to move to get to the food."

"But I like it here," Rodney complained, whining a little. "Why can't we have a poolboy or something bring us food?"

"A poolboy?" Rodney could hear his top's amusement.

Rodney huffed, picking up a hand to wave it a little. "A poolboy. Waiter. Whatever you want to call it. Someone who is paid to bring stuff—like food and drinks—to resort guests without complaining or bitching about the work."

John laughed softly again. Rodney heard the soft press of keys, and then his top was talking. Apparently the phone was within reach. "Hi, yeah, could you have someone bring in a snack tray for two? Yes…yes...perfect, thanks. We're in the living room, please have them bring it here."

"And water."

"Already taken care of. It's included with the snack tray."

"Oh. Okay," Rodney said, letting his hand drop back to John's chest. He shifted against his top getting comfortable again.

John's hands were back on his body, stroking and petting again.

Rodney hummed in contentment, relaxing his body. This was nice, really nice. Just being and touching and breathing. Simple. Perfect.

By the time the food finally arrived—were they harvesting the fruit?—Rodney was starving. It was mid-afternoon and breakfast was a long time ago. Granted, they'd probably have dinner soon, but he didn't care. Rodney had opened an eye as soon as he'd heard the poolboy arrive, watching as he placed the tray on the coffee table. He was dressed impeccably, not a thread or hair out of place. It took nearly all of his willpower not to lunge for the tray as soon as the boy stepped away—and yes, he looked like he was barely legal.

John's hand was still lazily stroking down Rodney's back, but his attention was focused on the boy. "Can you push the table a little closer?"

"Of course, sir," he said, moving around to adjust the table the way John wanted. "Can I provide anything else? Food? Other supplies?"

"Actually, yes." John selected a piece of fruit and pressed it to Rodney's lips as he spoke. "I'd like to get a pair of those full-hand mitts."

The poolboy nodded. "Of course, sir. We have the mitts in leather and rubber and in locking and unlocking models. Some also have additional rings for further attachment. Which would you prefer?"

"Rubber, locking, and with rings."

Rodney had stilled against John, surprised by his top's request. He had thought it was off the table completely.

"Of course, sir," Poolboy nodded.

John's hand slid down between Rodney's legs to toy with the plug in Rodney's ass. "I'd also like to get a larger plug than what's here in the room. Do you have anything on special request?"

"We have several larger plugs. They are various materials and styles. Would you like me to bring one of each?"

"Yes, please do. I'd like to see what my options are."

"Of course, sir. Did you want anything else? We just got in one of the new fuck chairs a few days ago. It gives you a few more options when it comes to positioning—instead of strictly as a chair—and a little more padding in strategic places to allow for longer sessions."

John hummed, playing with the plug. "I think so actually, yes. I'd like to check it out."

"Good choice, sir," Poolboy said.

"Thanks again. You can set the chair up in the bedroom."

"I'll put in the request for the items as soon as I leave. You should have them all within the hour."

Rodney groaned as John's fingers stroked him.

"Enjoy lunch, sir. I will return shortly with the items you requested."

John hummed again, his touches sure. He knew exactly how to work Rodney's body.

Vaguely Rodney heard Poolboy leave, too caught up in the sensations running through his body to pay much attention. He moaned again as John's finger rubbed against his perineum.

"So beautiful like this..."

"Please…" he begged, the one word falling out of his mouth as his body trembled.

"Mmm. No. You aren't going to come just yet. I want you panting for me as we eat."

"John, please…"

"Shh." John shifted him. "On your knees."

Rodney opened his eyes and let John move him. His hunger was quickly forgotten as his arousal grew.

His top smiled, and was waiting for him. A piece of cheese was pressed against his lips. "Eat first."

Rodney took the offered bite, but it didn't stop him from touching John, from running his hands over his top's chest, tweaking John's nipples.

He got a gasp for his effort, John's whole body arching a bit, a soft moan escaping before he could stop it.

So good, Rodney thought, leaning forward, rising up on his knees so he could taste John's other nipple.

He got another moan, John's legs falling open to let Rodney settle even closer. "Fuck..."

He hummed, licking and sucking on John's nipple as his hands trailed over skin. So good, so very good. And with every shift of his body, he rubbed up against the edge of the couch, sending shivers through his own body, arousing him even further.

"Rodney..." John's voice was breathy, and his arousal was evident from the bulge in his jeans.

Rodney let himself get lost in the smell and taste and feel of his top, switching out one nipple for the other, one of his hands fingering the wet and sensitive nub. The only way he was going to stop was if John made him. This was so perfect, so right.

From the soft noises, and the way John's hands were stroking him, he didn't think John would make him stop—at least not until his top had come.

Which was perfectly fine with Rodney because he could do this forever. With pushy hands he easily shoved John down, tilting him to the side as he crawled on top, wanting to feel more of his top, wanting to feel John's hands on his ass, on his body.

Moaning and arching, John responded, pushing up, his hands roaming. Rodney knew his nipples were a super hot spot, and were the fastest way to make John lose all control. With a growl of his own, Rodney bit down on John's nipple, pulling a desperate moan from his top. He tugged and teased, abusing the poor nub. But the sounds were perfect.

Panting hard, John's hips started thrusting up. With his jeans on, he couldn't get the friction he needed, from the frustrated whine that escaped.

Rodney just ground down into his top, trying to give him the pressure and the friction he needed. He moved to the other nipple again, beginning another round of abuse.

With a soft cry, John's whole body convulsed, and the fabric of his jeans got damp.

Moaning in contentment and approval, Rodney backed off a little, still not wanting to release John's nipple just yet. His hand shifted to the other nipple, rolling it gently. His top's body jerked in response, as the aftershocks rolled through him.

Perfect, so perfect, was all Rodney thought, gentling his touches.

"Nnnng."

Rodney chuckled, but didn't move, didn't shift away from his top's perfect nipples. He licked at the tip of one, loving the shiver that ran through John's body.

"S'good," John slurred.

"Mmm," Rodney hummed in agreement. So very good.

The vibrations got another soft moan, and another shiver.

With one hand wrapped partially around John's side and the other gently playing with one of John's nipples, Rodney let his eyes close. He could stay like this—licking and touching and playing with John's nipples—for hours.

"Nnnnng." John made another noise, his hips stuttering up again, despite the fact that he wouldn't be able to get hard again this fast.

Silence settled over them, only interrupted by the soft sounds of Rodney's licking and sucking and John's quiet moans.

"N…need to f...feed you."

Rodney ignored him. This was good, so good.

John moaned again as Rodney sucked a little harder. "D…don't want you to...get sick."

Rodney shifted his body, moving to the other nipple again. It had had some time to rest and recover.

John's body jerked again, another moan escaping. "So.. fucking... tempting..."

Mmm…yes, John was.

With another deep groan, John shifted. He was trying to sit up.

Rodney just spread his legs a bit, his hands clutching at John's sides.

"I need to get to the food. Let me m…move a little. I can feed you, and you don't have to move."

He ignored him, trying to use his weight and position to get John flat on his back again without dislodging his mouth from John's nipple.

John's body went limp as he made another soft noise of pleasure when Rodney bit down slightly.

Rodney growled. Yes. Perfect.

"Oh... fuck..." John arched a little again.

Rodney licked the nub, his hands stroking along John's sides, intent on the taste of John's skin, the feel of it beneath his hands and his tongue. His entire focus was on the way John felt and tasted and sounded.

His top shuddered again, low noises of pleasure rumbling from his chest.

John was perfect, so perfect and so good.

John shifted again, stretching, moving. He was trying to reach for the food.

Rodney reached out, threading his fingers through John's hand, stopping the movement. This was good, perfect, just like this.

"Rodney..." John was breathy again, obviously trying to fight the way Rodney was making him feel, trying to clear his head.

He nipped gently at the skin around John's nipple before licking it, ghosting his tongue over the area.

That earned him another of the deep moans, and John's body going pliant again, melting into the couch.

Yes, perfect, Rodney growled quietly, squeezing John's hand, shifting up to nip along John's collarbone. The skin tasted just as good up here.

John was panting, legs spread as far as they could get in this position.

With his free hand, Rodney grabbed John's other hand, tugging it until it was resting on his ass, cupping the cheek. He moaned when John squeezed, shifting again to press kisses along John's neck.

The long, lean fingers found their way to the plug, toying with it once more.

Oh god, yes. Perfect. Rodney moaned, burying his face in John's neck.

"Love you so much..." It was whispered into his hair.

Rodney moaned again, shifting to nip along John's neck, tasting and kissing. Somehow the hand that had been in John's was now tangled in his top's hair, his other hand clutching his shoulder.

John's head tipped back, giving Rodney access. Growling again, Rodney dove in sucking on a patch of skin right on John's Adam's apple. He worried over the spot, John moaning under him. Once it was just right, he shifted his body again, rocking against John a little as he moved to nip and lick and kiss the other side of John's neck.

He could feel John was, incredibly, hard again. Moaning under him, his top was squeezing his ass rhythmically, but otherwise seemed to be completely caught up in his pleasure.

Rodney moved again, dragging his stubbled cheek over John's, attacking his mouth the way he normally spoke—loudly and forcefully.

John whined into his mouth, his body arching and begging for more.

Rodney moaned into the kiss as John squeezed his ass, fingers drifting down between his legs. He heard someone clearing their throat, but ignored it. John was the only one who mattered. John and what he felt like, sounded like, when he was like this.

John just continued to fondle and moan, his head thrown back as far as he could get it on the couch.

"Sir?"

Poolboy was back. Rodney didn't care. John was the only one who mattered.

"Nnng." John's eyes opened—they were completely blown out, with no color showing at all.

Rodney just shifted, turning John's head away from Poolboy.

He panted softly, whining deep in his throat, lost in a haze of pleasure.

"Sir, please…"

John licked his lips, and started to turn his head back to Poolboy, obviously trying to focus.

No. Mine. Rodney shifted again, kissing John a little more soundly, wiggling his ass in his lover's hands.

With another moan, John's mouth opened, allowing Rodney to plunge inside, the fingers on his ass squeezing tightly again.

He plundered John's mouth, their tongues twisting and stroking together, their moans joining together, becoming one. Yes, god yes. So perfect, so good.

He felt one of John's legs curling around him, pulling him closer as they kissed and kissed and kissed.

The annoying Poolboy faded away. It was just John, only John. Rodney vaguely realized they'd rolled onto their sides, and he was pinned between the couch cushion and John. There was hardly any space between them. They were connected from head to toe, wrapped around each other. It was dizzying how he could feel so free and connected and loved.

When the kiss finally broke, John buried his face in Rodney's neck, breathing hard.

Rodney tried to shift, tried to renew the kiss again, but this time John held him firmly in place. He whined, trying to shove against John, trying to get some leverage.

His top nipped at his collarbone.

That sent a shudder of arousal through him, making him tremble and moan.

Lifting his head, John's eyes were still a bit blown out, but it looked like he wasn't completely lost in the pleasure anymore. "Hi, there."

"Please," he whined, trying to shift against John, wanting to taste and touch again.

"Shh. I know." Shifting a bit, he reached for the platter of food, snagging another piece of cheese to press to Rodney's lips.

Rodney shook his head. He didn't want cheese, he wanted John.

"Take it, Rodney. Just a few pieces so I don't have to worry about you getting sick. Then we can go back to what we were doing."

He moaned, but obeyed, opening his mouth, letting John slide the piece of cheese inside. "Please," he whispered quietly once he swallowed.

Humming softly, John fed him several more pieces from the snack tray, popping a few in his own mouth as well.

Rodney chased after John's fingers, nipping at the tips when he could. He wanted more, wanted John.

Finally John sat up, fumbling at his own jeans, trying to get them open.

But that also meant that John had finally released his hold on Rodney. He shifted immediately, his hands moving to John's hot spots—nipples and cock.

With a moan, John went boneless again, dropping back, and onto the floor. Fortunately it wasn't a far drop, and he didn't seem to notice.

"John!" Rodney moved immediately, cradling his lover's head, fingers checking to make sure there was no blood or gash. The table had been close…

"Mmmm." John arched up, panting again.

"John, are you okay? Please tell me you're okay…" As soon as John had hit the floor, Rodney's brain had kicked over, going through all the terrible things that could have happened.

Blinking his eyes open, John nodded. "M'fine. Why'd you stop?"

"You fell…hit the floor…hit your head…the table…might have hit the table, too…"

The haze cleared from John's eyes. "Rodney, buddy, I'm fine. I didn't hit the table."

With a moan, Rodney buried his face in John's neck, pressing himself close. He hadn't meant to shove John off the couch. He hadn't.

"Shhh, hey, I'm fine. It's okay. So I fell off the couch because I'm a clumsy bastard. It's okay." John's arms wrapped around him, holding him close.

"Sorry," he whispered, hating himself and his reaction just a little.

"Don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about." John pressed kisses into the top of his head.

It didn't take long for John's kisses and his hands to make Rodney forget that he'd nearly killed his lover on the living room coffee table.

A finger slipped under his chin, urging him to look up. "Hey, it really is okay. I'm fine. I shouldn't have leaned back like that."

"Just…touch me…please."

Smiling, John leaned in to capture Rodney's mouth in a tender kiss.

Moaning, Rodney rocked against John, stroking his tongue over his lover's.

John's hand drifted down, curling around Rodney's dick and stroking it slowly as they kissed.

He shuddered, running his hands through John's hair, moaning into his mouth. Yeah…so good.

John brought him back to full hardness, stroking until Rodney's cock was weeping.

Rodney rocked into John's hand and devoured his mouth. Their lips would be bruised and raw, but he didn't care. This was…yes…perfect and right and so, so good.

The ring holding him loosened a little. "Hold back for as long as you can, then come for me," John breathed.

"Oh…yes," Rodney half whispered, half moaned, spreading kisses and nips along John's jaw and down his throat.

John continued to work him, clever fingers bringing him to the edge then backing off again and again.

Rodney was begging, pleading with John to let him come, to help him come. He was a tease, doing this to him.

His top chuckled, and continued to play with Rodney's body.

His climax, when it came, was a surprise. It nearly snuck up from behind, pushing him over the edge. It felt like he turned head over heels and inside out, white washing out his vision for a few moments. When he came to, he was cuddled against John, his heart still beating frantically, but it—along with his breathing—was slowing.

John was still stroking him, but it was with a bare brush of fingertips, just enough for a soft, shivery sensation.

He moaned quietly, shifting against his top. "Oh…John…"

"Yes?" He could hear the smile in the other man's voice.

"Good…" he whispered, "…so good."

Lips brushed his forehead. "Love you."

"Love you." Yes, even lying in a heap on the floor in the living room.

John shifted a little. "Why don't we move someplace a little more comfortable?"

Rodney nodded, rubbing his thumb across the skin on John's chest up near his armpit. No where sexy, but it was smooth and even.

John hummed a little, in obvious pleasure. Rodney forgot sometimes, just how much his lover liked being touched since the whole slave thing.

"Whatever you wish, John," he whispered, turning his head to press a kiss to John's shoulder.

"Bed I think. Where we can stretch out in comfort."

Rodney nodded again. "Can we stop in the bathroom first?"

"Course. Need me to take the plug out?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

Smiling, John nodded. They stood, and he carefully removed the plug. There was a very obvious bulge still in his lover's half-open jeans. John's eyes drifted over to the stuff PoolBoy had left, his eyes widening. "Oh, wow."

Rodney turned, his gaze following John's, skirting over the stuff that was spread across the living room. Plugs…big plugs…in all types and shapes. Some had attachment points like the one John had used already. Others were just big. It made Rodney quiver a little just looking at them.

His top picked one up, one of the larger ones. And then he pushed something and it started to buzz. Hard.

Oh…wow.

John actually bounced on his heels. "While you use the restroom I'm going to look through these and see what all our options are."

John took his hands and tugged him toward the bathroom. His hands were warm and gentle as he got Rodney situated, securing him in place with his hands above his head. Now that he had this intimacy, he craved it. Here, in this resort, they could let go.

John headed back out, leaving him alone for a few minutes as he did his business. When John finally wandered back in, he quickly cleaned Rodney back up and then led him back out to the bedroom. The first thing John put on him was a gag, a soft one that could be worn for a long time without hurting his mouth. He was led to the bed, pushed down and ordered to spread his legs and keep them spread.

Rodney obeyed easily, readily. He wanted this, wanted John.

"Good boy." His top purred. Hands ran down his back, and then something large was nudging at Rodney's entrance.

He moaned, trying to shift to open himself even wider. The plug—he assumed—was lubed, the tip sliding easily into his hole. He was loose from the sex and the plugs, but this one was larger, bigger than the one he'd been wearing before, probably close to John in width—or so he guessed. He didn't want to crane his head, didn't want to look. He just wanted to take whatever his top gave him.

It went deep, pressing right against his prostate. And then it started to buzz.

A hard shudder ran through his body and he moaned loudly. Oh…god… It was too much but perfect at the same time. Without really thinking, his hips made thrusts against the bed, loving the friction against his hardening cock.

He got a hard slap on his ass. "No moving. Just stay still and take it."

Rodney moaned thrusting a few more times before stilling as best as he could. It felt like his entire body was vibrating, every nerve on fire and tingling. His eyes were closed tightly as he tried to hold on, as he tried not to come right then.

"Very good. Such a good boy." John's hand ran down his back. "I love you like this. Hard and trembling for me. Holding back because I told you to. You're beautiful."

He arched into John's hands, moaning and whimpering. He felt so alive and so free at the same time.

His legs were pushed wider, and then Rodney felt the tug that meant they were locked in place, to the bed. His hands were next, but not before a very, very soft pillow was placed directly under his groin, ensuring he wouldn't be able to rub himself off. He was completely at John's mercy.

Rodney tugged at the restraints, letting the feeling of security drop him down further. It was as if it gave him the permission to really let go. He felt John shifting on the bed, felt another tug on each arm and knew his lover, his top, had tightened those straps, making sure he had no give, no room to move. He whimpered, his body shuddering and trembling.

"All mine..." John's hands stroked him randomly, not letting him anticipate where the touch would come from next.

He fell hard, tumbling down into the place where sensation and the feeling of John's hands were his entire world.

"Good boy." John continued to praise him softly as he stroked. The buzz of the plug stopped, but the toy itself was left in place.

Rodney was so hard, wanted to come so badly, but at the same time he didn't want to. He didn't want to lose this feeling, lose the edge this gave him.

"Lift your hips a bit, as much as you can." When he obeyed, he felt the cool slide of familiar metal. And then it closed around his cock, holding it tightly. The Ancient ring.

He hummed in pleasure, relaxing against the pillow again. The tension from holding back flowed easily away from his body, leaving a tension of a different sort.

"You belong to me. You won't be coming anytime soon. I want you hard and leaking for me for the rest of the day."

Rodney moaned and nodded, turning his head toward his top. He opened his eyes slowly, lazily, catching a glimpse of John.

The other man was watching him, a satisfied smile curling him lips. "I could look at you like this all day."

A thrill ran though him, arousal growing in his stomach. It was mid-afternoon, he knew, and if John were to leave him like this for the rest of the day… Rodney let the thought drop off, allowing the pleasure and the want to move in instead. And if he added something more he could become lost in his own world of pleasure and arousal. He moaned again, widening his eyes at John as he shifted the small amount he could on the bed.

Chuckling, John moved closer, running a hand through his hair. "I know what you want. Are you going to be a good boy for me for the rest of the day?"

Rodney nodded immediately. Anything John wanted. Anything at all and he'd do it.

"Very good. I think that deserves a reward then, don't you?" He didn't wait for a response, but got up to get something out of Rodney's view. When he returned, a blindfold was tied into place immediately, and then a set of earplugs followed.

Rodney moaned, tugging at the restraints as he felt his mind slowing even further. He was John's, all John's. Safe and cared for. John's.

***

Settling on the bed where he could pet his sub, John smiled softly.

God, he was beautiful like this.

For the first time since they had arrived, he really saw Rodney drop completely. He was gone. He truly belonged to John now.

With a sigh, he settled in, just enjoying the time to watch and pet the other man. It was starting to get darker in the room when he heard a knock, and someone enter the suite. "Hello," he called out softly, not wanting to disturb the peace they had created.

"John?" Peter.

"Back here." Looking up, John couldn't be bothered to hide how relaxed he was, or how comfortable he was with his beautiful sub.

John heard the other man approaching, heard him stop at the door to the master bedroom. "Oh," he said, immediately dropping his voice. "Is he sleeping? I don't want to interrupt or intrude…"

"He's not sleeping, just relaxed. You aren't intruding." John smiled at him. "How's Harry doing?"

"He's napping. I needed to go for a walk and for some reason ended up here." He shrugged, his eyes drifting back to Rodney. "Are you sure he's not sleeping?"

"Very." To demonstrate, John slapped Rodney lightly on the ass, getting a soft moan in response. "He needed this to completely let go, needed the time to let himself sink down far enough that he won't pop up again until I want him to."

"He's…wow. I never…" Peter's eyes were wide.

John couldn't help it—he loved showing Rodney off. "It took us a long time to get to where he could fall this deep, and even now I have to work at it, but when he does finally let go... God, I love him."

"How long has he been under like this?"

"Since lunch, so a few hours. I'll have to feed him in a bit, since we just had a little cheese and fruit then. We were busy at the time. I might bring him down to the restaurant to have a good meal. I can keep him restrained, and just take the gag out to feed him."

"And he really likes this…?"

Nodding, John let his hand drift over Rodney's body, and wondered how the fight between Harry and Peter had ended. He cared deeply for his friends, and he hated to see them at odds. But he wasn't going to push—he had promised Harry. "He would go a lot further than I'm comfortable with, in terms of bondage. I try to give him as much as I can, since he has the easiest time falling when he's completely restrained. I got a pair of full-hand mitts. I'm still not sure if I'm going to put on him."

Peter was quiet for several minutes, watching as John stroked and teased his lover, listening as Rodney moaned in pleasure. "I don't remember the last time Harry sounded that content," he finally said, slumping down in the chair next to the closet, several feet from the bed.

John gave him a soft smile. "It sounds like you guys have drifted apart a bit lately."

"I didn't think we had," Peter said with a shrug.

"That's always the way it is, I've heard. Talk to me, Peter. Sometimes even just having an unbiased ear can help you work through things."

"We've both been busy. The club takes a lot of our time and energy. I've had to do a lot of traveling. I'm not happy with some of our vendors so I needed to research several new ones."

"And he stays behind to keep an eye on things at home?"

"Of course," Peter said, looking at John like he had two heads. "I trust him implicitly."

Shaking his head, John tried to be clearer. "That wasn't what I meant. I mean, you're apart most of the time, since you both have different duties. And when you're home, I'm guessing you're both exhausted—too exhausted to do much more than fall into bed."

"We have sex. It's not like I don't love him or anything."

John didn't want to offend his friend again, so he tried to word his thoughts carefully. "Sex is great but... it's not enough to keep two people together."

Peter glared at him a little. "I know that, John. I'm not an idiot."

"I wasn't saying you are." John glared right back. "Stop being so quick to assume I'm trying to insult you. I'm just trying to point out that maybe with all of the time you guys have had to spend apart, maybe this vacation is a good time to reconnect. To actually listen to what he has to say, and don't just dismiss it or get angry and defensive. He loves you. He isn't trying to be cruel."

"I listen to him."

"Do you?"

"Of course I listen to him. I've listened to him for years."

"There's a difference between just listening to someone talk, and really paying attention and having a conversation with them." John shrugged. "I won't pretend to know all the details of your personal life. But when a man I know adores you says he misses you, and he wants you back, that's usually a good indication that there's a disconnect somewhere."

Peter shook his head. "He has me. I'm not going anywhere."

"He has you physically, Peter. But emotionally, does he really? If I can see that you guys aren't as close as you used to be, then you can bet he's really feeling it."

"But nothing's changed. I don't love him any less than I did a few months ago."

"I'm not saying you do." John sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, we both know I suck at this, but I'm trying here. The problem isn't love, or being physically present. In my opinion, the problem is that even when you are together, everything else is coming between you. You're in the same room, maybe even having sex, but there's a barrier now, work, the club, everything. It's easy to get so caught up in what's happening around you that you start to just take for granted the person closest to you. They're there, and they always will be, so you focus on other things you might feel needs your attention more. And that's fine once in a while. But over time, when you put everything else ahead of your partner..."

"I'd do anything for him, John. Anything at all. You know that."

John smiled slightly. "I know that, and on some level so does he. But we all like to hear it sometimes, don't we? My advice is to be extra attentive. You have a great opportunity here—you're on vacation, in a resort where experimentation and letting go are encouraged. Go out of your own comfort zone a bit, and cater to him. Show him how much he means to you, and that he's not being taken for granted."

"I don't know what good that'll do. It's not like things are going to be able to change at home."

"No, but you have to start somewhere. From what I saw earlier, right now he just wants to be the center of your world. Put everything else aside. Let him fall into headspace a little, where he knows he's loved and that you're taking care of him. Take the opportunity to reconnect, and then I'm willing to bet when you get home, it will be easier again too. You've drifted apart a bit—just making the effort to close that gap will go a long way toward fixing some of the problems."

Peter sighed and shrugged. "I don't know if that would work or if he'd even let me at this point."

"You won't if you don't try."

"I guess."

John turned his head, running a hand down Rodney's back, letting the sound of his lover's pleasured hum relax him. "I think you'll be surprised by the results."

"Maybe," Peter said, unconvinced. "How can he…"

After waiting a few heartbeats, John prompted him to continue. "How can he what?"

Peter gestured to Rodney. "How can he enjoy that?"

Following the gesture, John smiled down at his lover. "It lets him be free. He can let go, let his mind shut off, and just exist purely to be loved. He knows when I put him in headspace like this, that I'll be right there to take care of him, that his only worry is pleasing me."

"And this…pleases you?"

"Surprisingly, yes. You know I've always had a bit of a dom streak in me, although I was always more of a switch. But with Rodney... I want to give him everything, protect him, make him feel good. It's as relaxing for me as it is for him. I can take care of him, love him without question or worries, and he lets me. Let's me just have him, all of him, offered up on a silver platter. I'm honored, and humbled, that he's trusted me with himself."

"I would…would never even consider something like this. It's not who Harry and I are. We do some, but compared to you, we're very vanilla."

Chuckling, John touched Rodney in a way he knew would make his lover moan again. "We didn't start out this way. It's just sort of evolved. At first it was restraining his limbs. Then a blindfold. And over time, we've tried different things, and kept with the ones we liked, and discarded the ones we didn't. The trick is to talk about it when he's not in headspace, so everyone knows what's allowed and what isn't. He's actually made some requests for more complete bondage than I'm comfortable with, so I said no. This was my compromise."

"This is a compromise?"

"If he had his way, he'd be in a full body suit, complete with a hood and a tiny place to breathe through. I don't like giving up that much access to his body, so instead I'm using a variety of things to create the same effect. And this way, I can touch all I want. Not to mention, I can give him hearing without sight, and so forth. With a hood, it's all or nothing."

"I thought you said he was claustrophobic. Or was that someone else you were talking about? Your emails blend together since you send them so infrequently."

Rolling his eyes, John shrugged. "I do send them, actually fairly frequently. I told you—all our correspondence goes through several layers of censors. My guess is that one of these days you'll get a slew of them in your inbox. But to answer your question—yes, he is claustrophobic. Very much so. Even he isn't sure he'd like the hood for that reason, but he likes the idea of it, because of the control it forces him to give up. He needs this to help him let go. And even with bondage, it can still take him a while to sink down. It's taken me since we got here to get him down far enough that he won't pop right back up again as soon as I move him."

"But he wants it anyway, even though it might start a panic attack."

"Because he knows I'd be there, watching so closely I would probably know before he did that it was causing problems, and I'd pull it off."

Peter sighed, shaking his head. "Some of this, I don't understand."

John shot his friend a sympathetic smile. "You don't have to go this far, you know. I'm not suggesting you go out and become a hard-core top. I know that's not really how you swing. All I'm saying is that I could see the signs of Harry wanting—needing—to drop into headspace. He wants to give himself to you, and you keep rejecting him. Even if all you do is let him fall with the reassurance you'll be there touching him and loving him, it can be enough."

"But we do that."

"No, you don't. You love him, yes. But I watched you reject it when he tried to surrender himself to you. For whatever reason, it makes you uncomfortable. I can't tell you what to do, but I did see all the signs of a sub in Harry who very much wanted his top to take him in hand. I've bottomed enough to know that for them, it's not about sex, not really. It's about the surrender, the letting go. About trust. He trusts you with the power over his body and soul, and you return that trust by treating it as the most precious gift anyone can ever give you."

Peter sighed, his eyes on Rodney as John continued to touch and pet his sub. "I should probably get back to him."

"Probably. You'll want to be there when he wakes up. Just think about what I've said." John caught his eye. "I don't plan to let Rodney come back up while we're here, but that doesn't mean we'll be staying here in the room. If you'd like, and you're comfortable with it, we can meet for dinner at the restaurant. Then, depending on how you're feeling, we can either go back to your place or the beach. I can give you some advice about some of the harder stuff if you'd like. It's up to you, and I won't be offended if you say no."

"I…don't know about that last bit, but I know Harry wanted to spend time with both of you."

John nodded. "So why don't we start with dinner tonight. I will warn you that Rodney will be on his knees, and will only eat what I feed him."

Peter shrugged. "I’m not going to stop you from whatever you're doing. I just know Harry was excited to see you and Rodney. He's been talking about this trip ever since you asked for help planning it."

Grinning, John relaxed a little more. "You guys are like family. I've been pretty excited about seeing you both, too. We don't get to visit as much as I'd like."

"And there will only be so much visiting this time, too." Peter's eyes drifted back to Rodney.

John knew his friend was highly intrigued, despite himself. He decided to do his best to be passive about showing off how content Rodney was. He knew Peter knew that the dom/sub relationship wasn't always about whips and chains. They played it themselves—at least a little. But seeing it like this was very different, especially if it wasn't something he'd considered before. "I still want to plan a trip one of these days to go hiking. I can rent a small helicopter or plane and take us out to the middle of no where, and we can just enjoy visiting."

"I didn't think either of our partners liked to hike."

Laughing softly, John shook his head. "They don't, but you and I do. We'll bring a really nice tent, and bribe them with fantastic sex and chocolate."

"Yeah, well, that's always a thought," Peter said, rising to his feet. "Let me know when you want to go to dinner."

"What time is it now? We could meet around seven."

Peter glanced at his watch. "Almost six."

"That's perfect then. I wanted him to stay like this long enough to completely fall into headspace, but I don't like leaving him in one place without moving for too long."

"So I can meet you at the restaurant if you want. Table for four?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you there."

Peter nodded, more or less to himself, before heading out of the cabin, closing the front door behind him with a solid sound.

John sighed. He hoped that had been what Peter needed. But for now, his attention returned to the beautiful man spread out for him. "I'm so very lucky..."

Rodney moaned as John stroked his back, fingers trailing down his legs.

"God, you're amazing..."

Rodney continued to moan and squirm in John's hands, the sounds given up easily.

He continued to stroke his lover for a while, loving the noises and reactions. Rodney was so open like this... Finally, he decided it was time to start getting ready for dinner. He pulled one earplug out. "I'm going to move you so I can take you for food."

He made a noise of agreement and acceptance, his entire body trying to lean toward John, but the bonds held him firmly in place.

"Shh. I'll take care of you."

Rodney nodded his head, letting his body fall back against the bed.

Slowly, letting every movement be sensual, John changed the configuration of the straps from holding Rodney to the bed, to securing his arms behind his back. He turned the plug back on to a low buzz, knowing the extra stimulation would help keep Rodney from really being aware of anything except him.

The whining sob he got when it started vibrating was perfect. Rodney was squirming against the bed, his body trembling and shuddering with each and every movement.

He hummed to himself as he got a leash, snapping it on to the ring on the collar and helping Rodney to his feet. He removed the blindfold, watching as his sub blinked slowly, eyes focusing on John. "You will follow me. The plug will stay in until I take it out. The gag will come out in a bit so I can feed you—that will not be permission to speak. Once I've decided you've had enough, you will be gagged again."

Rodney nodded, moaning as he tried to adjust to the plug and the new sensations it was causing. He was rock hard and leaking, but the Ancient ring was holding him, making sure he didn't come before John was ready.

"Mmm. Perfect. If you're a very good boy, I'll let you suck on my cock before I fuck you later."

He leaned in toward John, humming in contentment when John stepped forward, allowing him to press up against him and nose into his neck, snuffing lightly.

He ran a hand through Rodney's hair, petting him. "So good. So beautiful. I love you."

The humming got louder and Rodney shifted, letting John hold more of his weight.

Chuckling, John pressed kisses all over Rodney's face.

They stayed like that, with Rodney humming and purring in contentment, for several minutes. They'd need to move soon if they were actually going to meet Peter and Harry for dinner.

Finally, gently, John drew back, holding the leash firmly in his fist. "Follow me. I won't let you run into anything."

John got a nod from Rodney. It was strange at how different Rodney looked when he was comfortable in his skin, when he was relaxed like this. He was younger—or at least seemed younger.

They moved slowly down to the restaurant, John taking the time to enjoy the walk, and the soft sounds of pleasure his lover made as each movement gave him new little shivers. It was very, very nice.

There were two other couples waiting when they arrived, so it took a few minutes before the hostess was able to take care of them.

"Sir," she said with a smile as she returned to the podium. "Table for one?"

"Actually, I'll be joined by another couple. Peter and Harry. If they aren't here already, I'll need a table for all of us."

"Oh, they might be here already," she said, glancing down at the restaurant layout. "He was trying to explain that it was a table for four, but mentioned the couple he was meeting had a kneeling sub."

John chuckled. "That would be me then."

She smiled and nodded, marking off something on her pad. "If you'll follow me, then. I hope you'll find the table to your liking. I believe they already placed an order for non-citrus drinks and appetizers."

"Perfect." John spotted his friends as they came around the corner. The table really was perfect. It had a spot for Rodney to kneel next to the empty chair, along with discreet rubber straps. He pushed Rodney down, and secured him in place before taking his own seat.

Rodney squirmed a few times, obviously feeling out the restraints, getting his bearings. He settled down as soon as John placed a hand on the back of his neck, letting his thumb rub a circle against the skin.

Once his sub was settled, John glanced at his friends. "How was your nap, Harry?"

It took John asking the question a second time before Harry glanced up, away from Rodney. "Oh…fine. Needed the sleep. Jetlag and all."

He smiled. "Yeah, I can relate to that. Someday, when they declassify us, I'll tell you all about the kind of jetlag we go though sometimes."

"So, you're doing well? You and…ah, Rodney. We were surprised when you emailed asking for help planning your vacation. It wasn't a problem, but I thought it would be something you'd done on your own."

He made a face. "Part of it is my job. It makes it a little more difficult to do research on places like this when it can mean your job if someone finds out. The other major part is where we are. It's remote, and we don't have constant Internet access. We get a link about once a week, where anything that's been uploaded to the server is sent out, and anything new is downloaded. So trying to plan something is hard."

Harry nodded, taking a breath and then going off on a multitude of other questions. It was like he'd been storing it up for years. With Rodney pressed against his leg, humming contentedly, it was just about perfect—if Peter would stop scowling.

John ignored it for a while, chatting easily with Harry. It was nice to just relax. When the food came, he turned his attention briefly back to Rodney. Pulling off the gag, he put a finger against his sub's lips. "Remember, this is coming off so I can feed you. No talking."

Rodney nodded, sucking John's finger into his mouth, his tongue swirling around the tip. He tilted his head up as John pulled his finger free, smiling at John.

John's heart skipped a little. God, he loved this man. Picking up a small piece of fruit, he let it slip into Rodney's mouth.

He ate eagerly from John's hand, nipping at his fingers if he let them linger a beat or two longer.

Smiling, John let his approval—and his love—show through to his sub. This was a reward, of sorts, and he wanted Rodney to know just how proud of him John was.

Rodney looked content, his eyes fixed only on John's face, taking whatever John would give him without complaint or question. He would lean into John's touches, press kisses to his fingers and palm. John swore he could feel the hum of his sub's purr if he let his hand graze against Rodney's throat.

Glancing back up, John smiled softly—and a little shyly—at Peter and Harry. He loved showing off how beautiful Rodney was, and despite everything, he really wanted his oldest friends' approval.

Harry's rambling about one of the party's in the club from a month or so ago—some famous star or something—had ground to a halt a few moments ago, watching John's interaction with Rodney.

"Isn't he amazing," John said quietly. "I wish I could let him have this all the time."

Harry nodded, mouth hanging slightly open. Want and longing were pretty apparent on his face—at least according to John. Peter shifted in the chair next to him. "He wouldn't get much work done."

"And I wouldn't take that from him. But still..." John fed his lover another piece of food. "I like seeing him this happy, this content with his world."

"Why can't he just be content with his work and what he accomplishes?"

John glanced up at Peter. "He does take pride in his work, but that's not all there is to life. Before we got together, all he had was work. That might be fine for a little while, and even now if there's something critical he needs to get fixed, but for the rest of the time..." John shrugged. "Life isn't just work. It's love and pleasure and friends and family and everything else. Rodney needed that everything else. As for this, the submitting, his brain never really stops. This is the only way he can stop being Doctor McKay, and just let himself be Rodney for a little while."

Peter shrugged, not looking convinced. "I know about the importance of family, John. I think you should know that. I’m just…" He let his words trail off as John fed Rodney another bite-sized piece of meat, his sub licking the juice from the tips of John's finger.

Peter sighed again, glancing at Harry for a long moment. "I just don't think that would work for m…us."

"Why does it have to be all or nothing? Rodney and I have found a place and a balance that works for us, but it's not the same for every couple. You won't know what you like and don't like unless you try new things. I'm not saying this kind of thing is right for everyone, but you're the one who taught me to have an open mind about everything." John grinned a little at his friend.

"That was when you were scared of crossing the great divide," Peter said.

"And look how well that turned out for me." John ran a hand through Rodney's hair, getting a louder purr, one that both Harry and Peter heard, if their expressions were any indication.

"This is different, John, and you know it," Peter said tightly.

"And we're not here to argue," Harry said, leaning forward. "We're here to visit as friends. Can we do that?"

"Of course. And I do know it, Peter." John reached over to pat his friend on the arm. He glanced down again when he felt Rodney nuzzling at his leg, and chuckled softly, giving his lover another piece of food. "I wasn't ignoring you."

Rodney took the food and tried to shift a little closer, but the attachment points on the floor didn't allow for much movement in any direction.

"Shh." John caressed his face. "After I'm done feeding you, I'll unhook you from the floor and let you move closer while I talk."

His sub nodded, turning his head and pressing a kiss to John's palm.

"Good boy." Smiling, John fed him another morsel before looking back up. He wanted to continue the conversation, but he didn't want to push Peter beyond what he was comfortable talking about for now. "So you were telling me about the starlet twink who crashed the club?"

"You wouldn't believe what he did," Harry started, hands waving as he talked about the event in all its gory details—including a critique of so-called couture of the star's entire entourage. John had to agree with the point about the feathers, though.

When the food was gone, he let Rodney lick his fingers clean, and then put the gag back on before leaning down to unhook him from the floor. He spread his legs in invitation before shaking his head at Harry. "What was he thinking? I'm not Mister Universe, but even I'd know better than to wear that."

Rodney immediately moved closer, resting his head on John's thigh, face pressed in close to John's groin. He purred loudly as he settled in, his body relaxing even further.

When he felt more nuzzling, John raised an eyebrow down at his lover. He took the gag back off, and chuckled again as Rodney immediately started to mouth him through the jeans. He buried a hand in his sub's soft hair, then realized Harry had never responded, so he looked back up.

Harry looked wrecked, like he wanted to drop to the floor himself. Peter…Peter was looking the other way, watching the waiter walk through with a platter full of plates.

"Peter?"

"Hmm?" he asked turning back to the table. "Yeah, you had to see those feathers to believe it. I swore we'd be cleaning them out of the air ducts for weeks."

Hesitating, John sighed. "I... do you want us to leave? We're obviously making you uncomfortable."

"No, no. It's fine. I've just heard the story before."

John let out a surprised moan as Rodney had somehow managed to work John's fly open with his teeth, and suddenly swallowed John down with a happy noise. His train of thought was completely derailed. Loving a genius had some amazing perks. "I…Oh fuck..."

"John?" Peter asked, leaning forward. Harry, who could actually see what was going on, elbowed his partner in the side.

"He's fine. Rodney's…expressing his appreciation."

Unable to help himself, John let his head fall backward, breathing hard. "He's…oh god... decided to... try to... see if he can... get me to come.... Fuck...."

"At the table?" Peter was clearly shocked—at least by the tone of his voice. But it wasn't like this was weird. John had watched several other partners all around them doing the same thing over the course of their dinners.

"Mmm hmmm. Sm…smart guy. He managed to…work the zipper…without me noticing... Ooooh." John's hips bucked slightly as his sub pulled out all the stops. Rodney had an amazing tongue. "And he knows... I like... public sex."

"I told you he was saying thank you," Harry said smugly. "I'm guessing John told him he couldn't talk during dinner. It's the only way he can express his thanks."

Laughing between pants, John managed a nod. "He's…not allowed to talk at all. Oh god..." He tried to lift his head and focus on his friends.

"See," Harry said, pointing Peter in the arm. "There is more than one way to say thank you that doesn't involve hugely expensive cars or jewelry."

Peter rolled his eyes, but he still looked a little shocked. John couldn't tell if the other emotions he was seeing in his friend's face was interest, arousal, or something else. He was a little distracted.

"Remind me to show you the pictures of my new car," Harry said. "BMW Z3. Gorgeous car, but the old one was still perfectly fine."

Rodney chose that moment to suck really hard, letting John hit the back of his throat.

With a strangled cry, John arched, his entire body jerking. The orgasm that ripped through him was a surprise, tearing another moan out of him as he gave his sub everything.

Rodney swallowed everything down, sucking John until he began to soften.

Sinking into the chair, John managed a little flush as he looked back at Harry and Peter, a drop of sweat rolling down his face. "Ahh..."

Rodney finished licking him clean and then settled in close again, holding John's softened cock in his mouth.

"Feel better?" Harry asked with a smile. "You certainly look a lot more relaxed. It's a good look for you."

"Mmmm. Much better." John caressed his sub softly. "Sometimes he knows what I need even before I do. Thank you, buddy. It was perfect."

Rodney purred quietly, his eyes closed as he stayed close to John.

Smiling, John blinked at his friends, waving lazily at the menu. "So, want dessert?"

"No, I think we're okay," Peter said quietly. "We should let you get back to your cabin. Rodney's knees must be killing him."

"The floors are padded, and he's been down for longer than this, but I won't object. You coming in to visit for a little longer?"

"No," Peter said, cutting Harry off before he could get a word out. "We should probably call it a night ourselves."

John wasn't going to spoil his post-blowjob bliss, so he decided not to argue. Instead, he touched Rodney's cheek. "Time to head back to the room, buddy."

Rodney immediately pulled off, pressing a quick kiss to the tip of John's cock.

Smiling, John leaned down to kiss him deeply before slipping the gag back into his mouth, buckling and locking it in place. "I love you."

Rodney nuzzled at John's hand, letting his eyes slip closed as his top turned his attention back to Peter and Harry who were finishing the last of their drinks before rising.

"What are you guys doing tomorrow?" He stood up slowly, giving Rodney time to sit back.

Peter shrugged as Harry watched Rodney open his eyes and shift on his knees, giving John enough room to move. "We hadn't gotten that far yet. Maybe some swimming. Mostly relaxing, probably. You?"

"The same. I'd like to spend more time with you both, if it won't bother you that Rodney will be like this, more than likely. It took me since we got here to get him down, I don't want to bring him up again just yet."

"Fine with me," Harry said immediately. Peter made some kind of noncommittal sound.

John hoped Harry would be able to get through to Peter. "Why don't you guys swing by tomorrow when you get moving then? I never sleep all that late, so just pop in whenever."

"Sounds good," Harry said with a smile. "Have a good evening and dinner was fun. I’m looking forward to spending time with the both of you this week."

They all shook hands, and John pulled his sub to his feet, winding the leash around his fist. They walked out as a group, and John waved goodnight as their paths forked. He looked over at his sub. "I'd like to walk along the beach and see the moonlight. Nod if you're up for it."

Rodney nodded immediately, eyes clear and fixed on John.

"Good." Leaning in, John pressed his lips to Rodney's forehead. He led them down to the water, smiling as he looked up at the stars, a light breeze ruffling his hair. He pulled Rodney close, wrapping an arm around him. "Nudge me if you get cold."

John felt Rodney nod before he shifted, leaning his head on John's shoulder.

John was completely relaxed. Content. He turned his face so he could catch whiffs of Rodney along with the sea air. "Love you so much," he murmured.

Rodney hummed, nosing John's neck.

Looking around, John spotted a cabana nearby and brought Rodney there. He wasn't interested in tying his lover down right now. Instead, he sat down and pulled Rodney between his legs, wrapping both arms around him. They shifted around a bit until both of them were comfortable. "Perfect."

His lover was relaxed against him, breathing easily, regularly. He was still hard, the Ancient ring and the vibrating plug still humming along.

The fact that he wasn't complaining—in fact seemed to be perfectly happy this way—made John's chest ache with pride and love. He brushed his lips along skin, and silently promised himself that he would do the best he could to always be here to take care of this man he cared so much for.

***

Rodney hadn't been this relaxed in a while. In a very long while.

The bondage this afternoon and then dinner had been perfect. It had been exactly what he needed and wanted. Kneeling next to John, he was able to listen to the conversation, but he didn't have to worry about taking part, about saying something stupid or being nice. He could simply exist, content that John would take care of him.

It was freeing.

And now, lying in John's arms under the stars on the beach, was simply perfect. He was aroused and leaking for his lover, but the need to come wasn't immediate. John would let him when the time came. He was content, happy. It was an odd feeling, but one he was slowly becoming a lot more familiar with.

And John was more relaxed than he had been in a while, too, if the expression on his face, and how loose his muscles were, were any indication. He was absently petting Rodney's side, his big, warm hands gliding along skin.

Rodney shifted slightly, nuzzling into John's neck with his nose, humming in contentment and encouragement.

He got an amused huff.

He did it again, making sure to shift his hands as well, rubbing against John's groin.

That got him a gasp. "God... I don't know if I can get hard again this fast. And I want to fuck you when we get back to the room."

Rodney hummed in agreement. Fucking was good.

"I thought you might like that. I want to take you slow. You took the edge off, so I won't be desperate. I'll sink in nice and easy, so you can feel every inch."

He rubbed John's groin again, moaning at his top's words.

"I think I'll tie you on your back, and use the straps to keep your legs in the air. I want full access. I'll fuck you so slow, you'll be sobbing for release. But you'll be gagged, so you can't beg. And tied so you won't be able to do anything except lie there and let me love you the way I want."

Rodney shifted his grip and squeezed John through his jeans.

John gasped and chuckled at the same time. "Like that, do you? Mmm, maybe I'll get one of the slim vibes and put it in alongside me. I'll be fucking you, and you'll have that buzzing, pressed right against your prostate the whole time. But you won't be able to come until I'm ready for you. I'll keep the ring clinched tight. You only come when I want you to come."

He moaned, letting his eyes close as he squirmed in John's arms, imaging what it would feel like.

Strong fingers curled around his jaw. "Open your eyes."

Rodney obeyed, finding John looking intently at him.

"Good boy. You've been very, very good for me this evening. I'm very proud of you."

Once John had gotten firm, had put him into a position where he couldn't really fight, it had been easy to fall, to let go. Being good and obeying his top's commands was simple then, especially once his brain stopped spinning and second-guessing everything.

John kissed his forehead. "Just relax for now. We'll get to the fucking soon enough."

Rodney nodded, leaning into John's hand, rubbing his cheek against his palm. He let his eyes close again as he soaked in the warmth from his top, let the gentle slide of John's hand against his stomach.

They never got time like this anymore, quiet time. There was always some emergency, something that made them skip right from the running and screaming right to the sex. But sometimes Rodney liked this part, too. He didn't want to admit it to John since he always fought with him about it, but…but it was growing on him.

They stayed like that until John felt the first of his shivers, the cool night air finally dropping his body temp to an uncomfortable degree.

He tipped Rodney's head up so they could look each other in the eye. "Time to go in, I think. When we get back to the room, go straight to the bed once your leash is off. Lay on your back, arms above your head. I'll lock you down once I collect the other items I'll need."

Rodney nodded, arousal growing once again in the base of his spine. He wanted this so badly, wanted to make John happy, wanted John to fuck him into unconsciousness.

His top must have seen some of that in his face, because he chuckled. "We'll get there. But you won't be coming for a while yet. I'm in the mood to play."

He moaned, shifting in John's arms, his hands squeezing down on his top's hardening cock.

"Ah ah. Not yet." John shifted, helping Rodney to stand. "I want to make sure I'm nice and hard. I'm going to make you incoherent with need before I let you come."

Rodney trembled with need and want, the cool air long since forgotten.

As they started walking, the leash wrapped firmly around John's fist, his top kept talking. "I think I'll fuck you with the vibe for a while first. Then I'll leave it in while I play with the rest of you, before I join it inside you. I'll take you slow, easy, so slow you'll be sobbing for more. But you won't get it, not until I'm ready."

He could imagine what it would be like, how John would touch him, play with him and tease him. He trembled again in longing and desire, his eyes sliding closed, trusting John to guide him.

"We have several other gags. I think I'll put one on you that will keep your mouth open. That way, I can use your mouth a little before I take your ass."

Rodney moaned. John had bought one of those when they were in Vegas the last time, but he'd never used it before. Rodney had tried it on once when John had been out doing something soldierly. He still remembered how it had made him feel, how he'd trembled at the thought of how John would be able to use him…

"Your eyes will be open—for now. I want you to watch me, watch the way I use you, love you. Depending on how I feel, I might put the blindfold on you later. When we finally do go to sleep, all you'll know is how your body feels, and the way my arms wrap around you and keep you safe."

Rodney nodded, moaning again, shifting his hands against the bonds holding them in place behind his back. He was falling again, drifting even deeper.

Before he knew it, they were back in the suite. John turned him so he was facing the bed. "I'm unhooking your arms first, then the leash. You will go to the bed and lie down as I instructed you earlier. I'm not in the mood to punish you, so I'll be very cross if you don't obey to the letter. On your back, arms above your head. Legs spread."

He was practically vibrating now—in tune with the large plug currently in his ass. John's hands were firm as he unlocked Rodney's arms and released the clasp on the leash. As soon as the metal was free of the ring, Rodney was moving, crawling up onto the bed and to the middle, planting himself in place. His arms ached from being restrained so long in one place, but it just…it didn't matter. This was going to be so good.

After a few moments, John joined him. His top had stripped, and carried various toys and other things. He set them on the bed, looking over Rodney with approval. "Good boy."

He flushed and squirmed a little as the focus of John's approval settled on him.

"Ah ah. No moving. Why don't we just take the option away?" He moved to Rodney's arms first, securing them above his head, spread wide. Then he used a more complicated series of straps to secure Rodney's legs up in the air, spread wide open. He could hide nothing from John this way. The straps were designed to hold the weight of his legs, so it was surprisingly comfortable—not to mention secure. He couldn't move at all.

He moaned, tugging at the bonds holding him in place, loving the feel of them, how they held him. His eyes drifted closed as the sensations flowed through him, making him tremble.

"Lift your head for me."

Rodney did, as best he could, turning it to give John better access to the lock and buckle behind his head. John's fingers were gentle and sure as he undid the lock, tugging the gag free of his mouth. Rodney used the brief moment to lick at his dry lips.

His lover dove in, licking at Rodney's lips and kissing him deeply. He moaned, giving up everything to John.

When the other man finally pulled back, he immediately put on the new gag.

The ring settled just behind Rodney's teeth, holding his mouth open wide. Oh god…he thought, arousal making his body shudder as John locked it into place.

"Hmm, very nice." John slipped a finger in, testing it.

Rodney licked at it, his mouth already watering.

"Very nice indeed." He pulled his fingers free and moved around the bed, past where Rodney could easily see him. He didn't know what his top was doing until suddenly the plug was tugged free.

He made some kind of a moaning yelp—slightly embarrassing, but he didn't care. His ass was clenching and unclenching, begging for more even without the need for words.

He heard a dirty chuckle, and the teasing probe of a finger right around his entrance. "Greedy."

Rodney made some other sound that resembled something close to agreement. Yes. God, yes, he was greedy. He wanted more. Wanted everything John would give him.

"Yes, very greedy. But I'm in the mood to play. So your greedy little ass is just going to have to accept what I give it."

He nodded, another moaning/whimpering sound somehow making it out of his mouth.

The finger continued to flutter around his entrance, the very tip pressing in, but not going any further.

Rodney tried to arch his back, tried to get more of John's finger into him, but he couldn't move, couldn't budge. His ass kept trying to clench down on the intruding digit, but John wasn't leaving it there long enough.

"Mmm, I love you like this. Spread out for. Wanting me. Accepting what I'll give you, but still trying for more despite yourself."

He whimpered, nodding. John was going to drive him insane.

"You want to be fucked. I know. But not yet." The finger disappeared completely.

And John vanished from view at the same time. Rodney whimpered after a few seconds passed, tugging at the wrist restraints. He was so turned on and horny right now…

Without warning a slim dildo was inside him, pressed all the way in with one long push.

Oh yeah… Rodney groaned, body shuddering as John let the really, really long dildo settle inside of him.

And then it started to buzz. But it wasn't the hard, unyielding buzz he wanted. It was a soft, almost gentle buzz.

He groaned in frustration.

That got him another chuckle, and then John was on the bed next to him. His lover traced a single finger down Rodney's chest, to circle around the tip of his erection, spreading the pre-come around.

Rodney turned his head to the side, watching John's face as his traitorous body trembled and shuddered.

"Mine. Completely. You belong to me, Rodney. Your body, your mind. Everything. You are mine."

He nodded once. He was John's. Completely.

The other man smiled, a brilliant, honest smile. So much more beautiful because it was so rare, and only Rodney ever got to see it. Long fingers wrapped more firmly around him, stroking him a little in reward.

The gurgling sobbing moan wasn't very manly, but it only seemed to make John smile wider.

"Yes." With his other hand, John began to move the dildo in and out, as slowly as he had promised before.

And Rodney simply let himself let go. Completely and utterly. He gave himself up to the sensations, the feelings John woke within him. John would catch him. He was sure of it.

***

The next morning, John stretched lazily. The night before had been incredible. He had spent almost two hours teasing Rodney before he had fucked him, and they had both come so hard, it had taken all of John’s concentration to get them marginally cleaned up, and Rodney unhooked from the restraints so he could sleep.

He had secured the cock ring again, but the gag was off, and the plug removed. His lover wasn’t tied down this time either. He had been using some heavier bondage, and he had wanted to give the other man’s muscles some time to relax before they played more today. The goal wasn’t to hurt him, after all.

Looking over, he saw content, sleepy blue eyes blinking at him. It made him smile. “Morning, sunshine.”

"Mmmm," he hummed, curling in toward John, wrapping his arms around him. He was sleep-warmed and content.

Chuckling, John pulled him closer. "Let me know when you need to use the restroom. We'll shower then, too."

Rodney snuggled in, managing to get his knee between John's legs.

With a happy sigh, John wiggled his hips a little. He was half-hard already, but nothing urgent. This was nice. He loved when they had time to just lie in bed and cuddle.

He got a quiet chuckle from his lover and Rodney's hands slid down, cupping John's ass, pulling him closer and rubbing them together perfectly.

"Mmmm, nice."

"Uh huh."

John rolled them so he was on top, and could smile down at Rodney. He pressed butterfly kisses all over the other man's face. "For the moment, you're allowed to talk. And tease. Feel free to tease away."

Rodney cleared his throat, but instead of speaking, lifted his head, meeting John's mouth with his own. His fingers dug into John's ass cheeks, the tips dipping in toward his crack.

It was nice. John allowed his lover a moment of control, then took it back, keeping the kiss lazy, unhurried.

The contented sighing moan told John all he needed to know—well, that and the hardening cock he felt next to his own.

He shifted his hips, rubbing them together as they kissed. God, he loved mornings like this. He could do this for hours.

As Rodney's finger drifted closer and closer to his hole, his other hand stroked up and down John's back, fingers digging into muscle one minute before moving to tangle in John's hair the next.

John's body responded, and he had to break the kiss to pant, his hips rocking back.

"John," Rodney breathed softly, arching up to catch John's mouth again.

With a soft moan, John fell back into the kissing, tongues tangling together along with limbs.

This was amazing and perfect and exactly what John wanted this entire vacation to be like. Loving each other and having sex and relaxing. None of this arguing they'd been falling into.

The next time Rodney pulled away, panting heavily, his whispered words made John moan—just as much as his lover's questing finger. "Can I?"

"Oh…god…yes..." John pushed back, wanting it, wanting to feel Rodney.

His lover moaned again before he used his body and rolled them, flattening John on the bed. He reached for the bedside table, grabbing the lube a moment later.

John spread his legs, inviting. "Please..."

Rodney shifted again, finally finding his knees. He was loose in a way John loved. "Turn over?"

Humming, John did as asked, wiggling his hips at Rodney.

But the scientist didn't chuckle or comment. Instead, his wide, warm hands were drifting down John's back and sides, cupping his ass. He shifted behind John and then the hands were spreading him open and a tongue licked a warm, wet trail across his hole.

"Oh fuck..." John buried his face in a pillow, trying to muffle the embarrassing noises he was making. God…Rodney was fucking worshipping him...

Rodney didn't stop, didn't let up, licking and sucking and tongue fucking him until John swore his brains were leaking out of his dick.

He was moaning, unable to form coherent words. So good, he needed to come. It was good, but just short of what he needed. Oh god...

Something other than a tongue breeched him a moment later, one single finger covered in lube, rubbing and pressing until it found that perfect little nub.

John made another embarrassing noise, pushing back, demanding more.

One finger quickly became two, stretching him gently. Every other movement brushed against his prostrate sending arousal spiraling through his body.

He moaned and rocked and whimpered. And then his world went white as he came, hard, getting it all over the sheets, his body trembling and twitching.

When he came to, he was held close against Rodney's body, his lover's arms wrapped around him, holding him. One hand was gently stroking his back from the nape of his neck all the way down to his ass.

"Mmmmmmmmm."

Rodney chuckled lightly, pressing a kiss to John's head.

Purring, John arched up. It was nice to just let himself enjoy the way his body felt for a few minutes, loose, relaxed, no cares in the world.

His lover was comfortable, familiar, a solid presence under him. He could hear his heart beating regularly, evenly where his ear was pressed against Rodney's chest.

"I could wake up like this every morning." John tilted his head to smile up at Rodney.

And wow. John's breath caught in his throat for a moment when he actually looked at his lover. Rodney was…god, years younger—or at least he seemed that way. The lines in his face had softened, contentment nearly radiating from him. Rodney returned the smile easily, the emotion behind it—love, compassion, contentment, happiness—shining in his eyes.

Swallowing hard, John sat up enough to scoot up Rodney's body. He pressed their lips together, not wanting a wild make-out session, but wanting to show the other man the soft, gentle passion he was feeling. He didn't know how to put it in words, so he tried to tell his partner the only way he could.

And Rodney responded as if he could read John's mind, kissing him passionately, his hands continuing to stroke along John's back.

The kiss broke naturally, both of them smiling at each other. Reaching up, John ran the back of his hand along Rodney's cheek.

Rodney didn't close his eyes, didn't flinch. He held John's gaze evenly as his hands slowly slid to a halt at John's waist.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Rodney said just as quietly, but his voice was firm. There was no hesitation. It was as if it were a law of nature.

They stayed that way for a little while, content in each other's arms. Finally though, John's bladder started to get insistent. "Time to take care of nature's call and clean up a bit I think."

"Probably," Rodney said quietly, nodding. "Probably need a little extra cleaning on the inside, too."

"We can do that. The showers here are set up for it, to make it easier." Reluctantly, John sat up. "I want you close today. You can talk, unless I decide otherwise later, but I don't want you out of arm's length. Preferably, I want to be touching you at all times."

Rodney shifted, following John and pressing a light kiss to his lips. "Yes, sir," he said with a warm smile.

Humming, John took his hand and led him into the bathroom. They both answered nature's call, and then he started the shower. "I'll clean you first, then you're going to do the same for me."

"Sounds like a plan."

He decided to start from the inside first, taking down the equipment designed specifically for this. Turning Rodney around, John locked his cuffs to the hooks on the wall before spreading his legs wide.

Rodney shifted easily, giving John exactly what he wanted without asking for it.

The hose nozzle was shaped like a slim plug, so John was able to slide it into his lover easily. He turned the water pressure on the lowest setting to start. "I'm going to increase it now. Tell me when it's too much, and I'll go down one."

"Okay," Rodney nodded, pressing his forehead against the tile.

John went slowly, increasing it a little at a time until Rodney spoke up again. He turned the dial back one, and then left it in place. Reaching over, he grabbed a washcloth, soaping it up to clean the rest of Rodney while the water did its thing.

It only took a few minutes before Rodney shifted. "John…I think…think it's enough. Cramping a little."

He immediately pulled it out and unfastened Rodney, shifting him to the bowl. "Let that run out and when you're done I'll finish washing you."

Rodney nodded, closing his eyes. It only took a few minutes before John saw his lover relax as the pressure released. While this wasn't the most interesting or best part of their relationship, it was necessary. And here, like this, only emphasized how much trust Rodney gave him. The last time Rodney had fought him tooth and nail, but now…now it was just a matter of course, part of the routine.

It took him another ten minutes before Rodney finally nodded, letting John manhandle him back into the shower were he proceeded to wash every inch of his lover. "Better now?"

"Squeaky clean inside and out."

"Good." John unhooked his hands and turned him, kissing the tip of Rodney's nose. "Now you can do me."

Rodney nodded, already moving to the soap and grabbing the washcloth from John's hands. He was slow and methodical, making sure he cleaned every single inch of John's body. He pressed light kisses to various areas, which at first John thought were random patches of skin until he realized Rodney was kissing each and every one of his scars.

It made him moan softly, letting the wall take more of his weight. Rodney belonged to him, but he belonged to Rodney just as much. And he knew his sub needed this.

He paused, looking up from his position on his knees where he was in the process of washing John's right thigh. "You okay?"

"Better than okay."

"Mister Happy certainly is, but I was just checking with the rest of you." Rodney's hands were warm and solid, thumbs kneading the muscles as he washed John.

Chuckling, John made a happy noise as Rodney found and worked out a knot. "I was just thinking how incredible you are, and how much I love you."

"You're going to give me a big head if you keep that up," he said quietly, but John could hear the happiness in his voice from the praise.

"Mmm, as long as it's the head between your legs, I'll keep it up for the rest of our lives."

Rodney chuckled, rolling his eyes as he focused on John's leg again. "Idiot."

"Yup." John laughed as Rodney slapped his ass lightly. They showered together in comfortable silence for a few more minutes before John spoke again. "Did I tell you Peter and Harry will be along at some point this morning? Peter's having some kind of crisis over Harry's desire to sub a little. I'm hoping maybe if he sees how easy we are together, it will help. I think he believes it's all whips and chains."

"I thought Harry was a sub," Rodney said, his hands moving to massage John's shoulders.

"To a certain degree, but he wants more and he wants it badly. But Peter is... afraid, I think. They've gotten into a rut, and he's working a lot, and he doesn't want to lose Harry, but I think he's afraid of what change would mean. I'm hoping that by spending time with us it will help him see that it's just another facet of the same relationship."

"It might not be for them," Rodney said after a few minutes, his words soft and thoughtful. "What we have works for us. They like some of the toys, I know, and they do love each other. Even I can see that. I don't know if we'd help them or harm them in the long run."

"I don't honestly think they'll ever have a relationship exactly like ours. They aren't really cut out for a long-term, full-time hardcore dom/sub relationship. But that doesn't mean they can't delve into it a little bit now and then. I think Peter thinks of it as an all or nothing kind of thing. So seeing us, and how even we do it on different levels at different times, will hopefully give him something to think about, if nothing else."

"I don't know," Rodney said with a quiet sigh as he wrapped his arms around John's waist and pressed in close along his back, resting his chin on John's shoulder. "Dom/sub is not the answer to everything, you know."

"I know. But in this case, I think Harry wants it, badly. And they need to do something to get them talking."

"One isn't enough in this case."

"I know." John sighed, leaning back into Rodney. "I just want them to be happy."

"Yes. You want to fill the world with kittens and puppies."

John turned his head to smile. "No, I just want everyone to feel the way I do."

"Hungry?"

"Yeah. Let's get out of this shower—we're both getting pruney."

"You should eat more of those," Rodney said as John turned off the water. "You aren't regular enough."

He spluttered. "I'm regular enough."

"Not really. I'm in close association with you. I know when you go and it's not enough for a healthy digestive tract," he said as John wrapped a towel around him.

Rolling his eyes, John kissed Rodney's nose. "I've always had a weird metabolism."

"Kinda fits with the rest of you," he said with a warm smile, leaning into John.

Laughing, John wrapped his arms around his lover. "I prefer to think of myself as quirky."

"You would," he replied, with his own smile and chuckle, pressing a kiss to the corner of John's mouth.

It took them a good ten minutes to make it into the living room, since they had to stop and kiss every few minutes. "So," John was a little breathless, aroused again by the play, "in the mood for anything in particular for breakfast?"

"Food."

"Well, yes, but I figured if you were craving anything I'd get it for you. If not, I'll just order us a variety."

"How about waffles? With fruit and whipped cream?" Rodney's eyes twinkled a little.

Raising an eyebrow, John decided to go with it. He picked up the phone and put in the order. "It should be here in about ten minutes."

"Mmm, good," Rodney said, tugging John with him as he headed for the couch in the living room.

Following, John laughed. "Eager?"

"For you and breakfast, yes," he said, dropping onto the couch and pulling John down on top of him. "Much better. My own human blanket."

John wiggled his hips, which rubbed them together in all the right places. "I like eager."

Rodney moaned, openly and loudly. "I…know…" he panted, arching up into John.

One of the great things about being in a place like this was that there were always supplies nearby. He grabbed a tube of lube off the coffee table and slicked himself up quickly. "I want to be inside you. Can you take me without any prep?"

"Do it," he nodded, spreading his legs.

Moaning, John positioned himself and then slowly sank into the welcoming heat of his lover.

Rodney was breathing heavily, head thrown back over the arm of the couch. He clenched down once and then again and then John was sliding in just a little further.

"Oh god..." John licked his lips once he was completely sheathed. "You're so fucking amazing..."

"All…all you," he panted, hand reaching out to touch John's face as he lifted his head. John met him halfway, pressing their lips together.

He thrust his tongue in deep, tangling their bodies as much as he could. God, if he could crawl completely into Rodney, he would.

"Please," Rodney begged quietly, hands wrapped around John's back, trying to tug them closer.

"Yes, yes, god yes..." John began to rock, thrusting, in and out, oh so good.

Rodney groaned and moaned and begged, arching into John and grabbing at his back. God…it still amazed him at how much he loved to bottom.

Pushing himself up, bracing himself on his arms, John started to thrust in earnest. "You're going to come like this. Neither of us is going to touch your cock. You're going to come from me fucking you."

"God, yes," he groaned, clenching his ass down on John as he slid in and out.

"Mine. Mine..." John repeated it with each thrust, angling to hit Rodney's prostate.

"Yours, John," he said, letting out a choked off yell as John hit his prostate.

Now that he had found it, John was ruthless in hitting it. "Come for me. Want to feel you come."

It only took two more thrusts before Rodney's body was arching beneath his, trembling and shaking as his orgasm ripped through him.

As his sub contracted all around him, John thrust once, twice, three more times and then he followed him over the edge with a hoarse cry.

He was panting heavily into Rodney's shoulder—his sub still out of it—when he heard the sound of someone clearing his throat.

Turning his head, he managed a grunt of inquiry.

It was Harry who replied—quite smugly. "Are we interrupting?"

Blinking them into focus, John couldn't manage a blush. "Waffles are on the way. I ordered enough to share."

"We..ah…already…" Peter began, only to get an elbow in the side from Harry.

"That sounds lovely. Should we just make ourselves at home?"

"Uh huh." John wasn't very coordinated, but he did manage to pull out of Rodney and shift around to a more comfortable position, where he could see Peter and Harry without straining anything.

Rodney had groaned a little as John had pulled out, but was otherwise quiet, his breathing finally evening out.

"So you had a good morning, I see," Harry said, plunking down in the chair across the way.

"Mmmm. Very. Wish I could wake up this way every day." John knew his smile was open and goofy, but he was too sated to care.

"It’s a good look for the both of you," he said with a smile, eyes sliding to Rodney as he shifted on the couch.

John followed his gaze to see Rodney was blinking at him. "Hey there, sexy. Welcome back."

"Mmmm…have company," he said quietly, blinking a few times.

"Yeah. Say hi."

He blinked a few times more before offering a crooked smile. "Hi. Breakfast's coming."

Harry grinned. "Yes, we heard. Waffles?"

"Mmm," Rodney nodded. "With fruit and whipped cream. I was thinking of licking it off John."

Harry's eyebrows went up. "Oh really? That should be interesting."

"You should try it. Not on John, of course," Rodney said, shifting a little on the couch.

John shook his head, sitting up slowly so he wouldn't crush his sub. "Sorry, Harry, but I only let one person lick things off me."

"Thanks, but no thanks, John. You're too close to being family and that's just…" Harry shivered.

"Yeah. I'm totally with you there." John gave a mock shudder, then held out his arms to let Rodney cuddle close again.

With a hum of contentment, Rodney shifted, letting John hold him close. "I'm sure Peter wouldn't mind you licking him in some very sensitive locations," Rodney said, wiggling his eyebrows.

John threw a glance over at his mostly silent other friend. "Licking can never be rated too highly. Rodney's tongue does some of the most amazing things."

"Mmm…yeah. I made John come this morning just from rimming him," he said proudly and a little smugly.

And there was the flush. John lowered his eyes. "Ahh..."

"A little tongue and a finger and bam! It was beautiful."

Moaning—both in embarrassment and as the memory of pleasure washing through him—John buried his face in Rodney's shoulder.

"Oh," Rodney said, shifting in John's arms so he was facing him. "Was I not supposed to mention that part?" Rodney's question and tone sounded innocent, but John knew—even without opening his eyes—his lover was anything but innocent.

He couldn't help but laugh. "Dork."

Rodney pressed a kiss to his lips. "Idiot."

They grinned at each other. "God, I love you. Have I told you that enough lately?"

"I have no issues hearing it again and again," he said laughing, pressing his nose to John's.

"Good, because I'll keep saying it over and over and over and over..." He laughed again as Rodney shoved him, both of them laughing as they collapsed backward on the couch.

"Are we interrupting?" Peter asked, tone annoyed.

John's head popped up, and this time the flush was bright red. He had totally forgotten about them momentarily. "Ahh, no. Sorry."

"Not a problem," Harry said lightly, shooting Peter an annoyed look.

Sitting straighter, John kept an arm around Rodney. "Lemme go pull on some pants. The waffles should be here soon—if they knock, can you let them in?"

"Peter can," Harry immediately said, volunteering his partner with a smirk.

John shared a quick grin with Harry, then stood, pulling his lover along with him. "We'll be right back then."

"You need me to get your pants?" Rodney said as soon as they reached the master bedroom, his tone amused.

John raised an eyebrow, then leaned against the dresser. "Yes, actually. I think you need to dress me."

Rodney's mouth twitched for a moment before it broke into a slow smile. "How dressed do you want to be?"

"Decent enough to get by, but enough access that should I decide to fuck you later on a whim, there isn't too much to wrestle with." He wiggled his hips.

Rodney's eyes immediately focused on John's groin and he stepped closer, hands grazing John's hips. "You're good just like this."

Arching a little to get some friction in all the good places, John smiled. "Ahh, but sometimes a little modesty is sexy. It means you get to keep people guessing."

"You do. Me, not so much." Rodney leaned in, pressing a light kiss to John's lips.

"Mmmm. You're hot. Very hot." He shifted so Rodney could feel the growing erection. "You turn me on, and make me want to do wicked things to you."

"I wouldn't complain if you wanted to do something wicked to me now, but your guests might object." He licked his lips, making sure to touch the tip of his tongue to John's bottom lip.

A bit breathless, John caught and sucked lightly on Rodney's tongue for a brief moment. "Who says I can't do both. Go get my pants."

"You told me to dress you. Who said anything about pants?" Rodney asked as he drew away, moving slowly to the dresser, making sure to show John his ass.

Chuckling, since his smart sub was right, John pulled open the toy drawer behind him, admiring the ass on display. It needed some decoration. Another set of thinner leather straps caught his eye as well. Mmmm.

Rodney dug through the drawers, pulling out several items—including the smallest Speedo he owned. He turned back to John, bathing suit and shorts in one hand and John's nipple rings in the other.

It made him laugh softly, but he nodded. Rodney was being very, very good, and letting him look at John in the pieces he had picked out was an easy reward. In return, John held up a delicate-looking clear plug with enough girth that his sub would feel it all day, and the leather concoction: bondage straps for the cock and balls.

His sub's eyes widened as soon as he caught sight of the items John had in his hand, his pupils dilating a little. That was answer enough for John.

"Come dress me. Then you can have these. You'll be wearing them all day."

"Yes, master," Rodney said, a happy smile coming easily to his face. He approached slowly, putting the items on the cabinet behind John. He ran his hands along John's skin, alternating the touch of his fingers with the slight bite of his snort nails.

John had never been the kind of top to hide his pleasure from his sub. He wanted Rodney to know what he liked, and to know that the other man turned him on. Arching into the touches, he let his head fall back, giving his sub access and permission to touch and play for a few minutes.

And Rodney took full advantage of it—using his mouth and hands to stroke and caress and love his top. By the time Rodney reached for the bathing suit, John was hard and panting.

He gasped as the fabric slid up and legs and then enclosed him, his body trembling with the sparks of pleasure it shot through him. "Oh god..."

"You look so good, master," Rodney said, voice a little awe-struck.

"All…all for you. You make me this way. Such a fucking perfect sub..."

When Rodney knelt down, dragging his hands along John's legs, he let out a groan. He helped John step into the shorts—his tightest pair, of course. He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to John's cock through the bathing suit before he fastened them closed, holding John even tighter.

"Oh... Oh fuck..." John closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing. "Make me feel so damn good..."

The next thing John felt was Rodney's capable fingers at his nipples, sliding the rings into place.

His breath hitched, and he struggled not to come, just from that.

It only took a minute or two before Rodney pressed a light kiss to each one, but to John it was an eternity. "Breakfast, sir?"

John wasn't sure he was going to make it through breakfast without needing a change of clothes, but he managed to get himself more or less in hand. "Not quite yet. My turn."

Rodney was only a few inches away from him when John opened his eyes, smiling easily at him. "Of course, John," he said, holding John's eyes for a moment before letting them slide away, lowering them. His submission made John growl, made the ache in his cock grow stronger.

"Mine." It came out almost guttural. He flipped them, so it was Rodney leaning against the dresser and claimed what was his, taking his sub's mouth.

He opened up immediately for him, giving as good as he got, his hands on John's hips tugging him closer, putting more pressure on John's groin.

With another growl, John pulled back. "Not yet. For now..." He went down to his knees, grabbing the cock bonds along the way. "Spread your legs."

Rodney chuckled lightly, obeying immediately. He braced his hands along the top of the cabinet, his eyes watching John as he worked.

The leather first went around Rodney's balls, pulling them down and apart slightly. Next, he attached them to the Ancient ring, through handy hooks that popped out at his mental command. The leather laced back and forth all the way to the smaller ring which went around the head of Rodney's beautiful cock. John tied the laces off to the places for it on that, then sat back to admire. "Mmmm."

His sub shifted the muscles in his thighs slightly, adjusting to the new sensation along his hard cock. He purred a moment later, licking his lips. "Feels good."

"Good. It's a reward for such excellent behavior. As is this." John turned his sub, and with a little lube from a tube sitting on the dresser, he pushed the large plug into his lover's body.

Rodney moaned at the intrusion, tensing up for a few seconds until his ass closed around the neck of the plug, more or less sucking it into his body. "Oh…yeah…" he breathed quietly.

John kissed each globe of the ass in front of him before standing up. "You'll wear that all day, unless I take it out to fuck you. And afterward, it will go right back in."

"Yes, John," he panted, nodding his head. He leaned back into John's hands, pressing his body along John's chest. "Touch me?"

Chuckling, John ran his hands along his lover's body, grazing each nipple, and tracing the cuffs that bound him—along his wrists and upper arms—the cuffs that marked him as claimed. He kissed Rodney's ear, whispering. "Mine."

Rodney gave up the pleased moans and sounds easily, his body trembling as John stroked and played with him. He'd reached around and was holding onto John's hips with his hands, fingers splayed across part of John's ass.

John rocked his hips into Rodney a few times, drawing out a few more moans, before he reluctantly stepped back, urging his sub to turn around. "Time for breakfast."

His sub's eyes were nearly all pupil, his body fully aroused. He was breathing heavily, but obeyed John without complaint, following him back into the living room where Peter and Harry were talking quietly, several covered plates sitting on the coffee table.

"Sorry it took us a bit longer than anticipated. We didn't mean to hold you up. Those smell fantastic."

"Figured you had good reason," Harry said, his eyes sliding from John to Rodney and then back again. "Rodney pick your clothes?"

He gave his friend a wry smile as he sat down on the couch, setting a pillow next to him for Rodney to kneel on. "How could you tell? But he's been very good, so choosing what he sees me in today was part of his reward."

"I know he has good taste," Harry said with a smile, his eyes lingering. "What was on your agenda today?"

Leaning back, John let his fingers trace over his sub's body. "Not really anything specific, to be honest. I do know I want to spend more time with you guys. We don't get to do this very often, so I don't want to waste it."

"I think I saw they had some shops on the resort map. Maybe a little shopping? Swimming?" Harry suggested, eyes flickering over to his silently brooding partner.

"Sounds perfect to me. I might try surfing if the waves are good, and you guys are going to be on the beach. I don't want to leave Rodney alone."

"We can visit with him while you surf," Harry replied with a smile. "But you should eat before it gets cold. Rodney looks hungry."

Glancing down, John saw hunger in his sub's eyes—of several kinds. He laughed, and sat forward to get one of the plates. "I have to admit, I'm feeling a bit peaky myself."

Harry laughed knowingly as John fed Rodney, letting the silence fall over them for a few minutes. John made sure to feed his sub equal amounts. The food here was sensational.

"Did you bring your board with you?" Harry asked a few minutes later, watching the interplay between John and Rodney.

John shook his head between bites. "No, but I saw they have rentals here. I don't want to go out long, just a few passes. It's been a long time since I could get out there."

"You'd mentioned that when we saw you last," Harry said with a nod. "That's one of the reasons I picked this resort. It looked absolutely fabulous and the reviews were amazing. Roger and Sue haven't even had the chance to come out here yet. They were so jealous when I spoke to them last week."

"I'm surprised they didn't find a way to come out, too." He finished off the last of their breakfast, feeding the final bite to Rodney. "I haven't gone over to the shopping area. What kinds of stores do they have?"

"All kinds from the looks of it," Harry said, rising quickly to his feet and padding over toward the door. "You should have something over here that lists everything." He was picking through a pile of papers on the small desk in the kitchen area. "I think I saw something about the board rentals, too. Did you know Peter used to surf?"

John's eyebrows went up. "I didn't know that!" He looked over at Peter. "Care to come out with me while Harry and Rodney catch up?"

"I haven’t done it in years," he protested, but Harry wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Of course he'll go. It'll be good for him," Harry said, still looking through the papers. Rodney bumped his elbow into John's leg, his eyes asking John to snuggle without the need for words.

John smiled his approval, shifting so Rodney had room to get comfortable. "We don't have to stay out long. It will be fun."

His sub, though, climbed up on the couch, making sure he was pressed up against John, relaxing the second he was in place. The fingers of his right hand starting gently petting and trailing along John's chest.

"I'll probably break something," Peter said.

John's eyes crossed briefly at the contact. Mmmm... Then he forced himself to refocus. "You'll be fine."

Rodney purred quietly, his finger circling one of John's nipples. "Of course he'll be fine," said Harry, wandering back over with a handful of papers. "He used to always complain he never got the chance to surf since I won't even attempt to. I'd just end up breaking something or other."

John's whole body arched, against his will, as Rodney found and fondled his hot spots. "Ah…yeah. Once you…once you get it in your…your blood…you can't...not hear the... the call of the waves."

Harry snorted, rolling his eyes as he dropped into the chair. "If that's the case, then I think some of us are deaf. But the shops…some are high-end boutiques. I don't think you want lingerie…some leather accessory boutiques…bondage shops…various high-end toys…"

John had to grab Rodney's hand and move it away from his nipple, or he was going to come right here on the couch. "We can... always use more toys. And they have some…some leather stuff here I'd be interested in bringing home."

Rodney didn't utter a complaint, focusing instead on John's flank, the spot right above his right hip, and his belly button.

"I was looking forward to doing some shopping on this trip. I have a high-limit credit card that hasn't been used in quite some time," Harry said, shooting a smirk toward Peter.

Swallowing a moan—his sub was apparently determined to drive John crazy today, not that he was complaining—John managed a smirk. "That was your first mistake, my friend."

"What mistake?" Harry asked. "I planned it that way."

Chuckling, John glanced down at his sub, who was looking up with one of the most open, happy expressions John had seen on his face. He traced a caress down the side of Rodney's face. "So shopping, and we can rent boards there, then surf after lunch?"

Rodney shifted, closing the distance between them.

John's arm fit perfectly around Rodney's shoulders.

He licked his lips, his eyes drifting down from John's eyes to his mouth.

John's lips quirked. "Later, buddy. Right now, I think we're going shopping."

"Oh, come on, John," Harry said, amusement in this tone. "We've done it enough to you over the years. We can watch."

Without looking up, John went a little more breathless. "You do know if we start that, odds are good it will go further. And I have a major kink for public sex."

"Oh, I'm sure Peter will stop you before that," Harry said. John heard a solid thud. "Right, Peter. You'll stop them if it goes further than a kiss or two."

John hummed his agreement, leaning down to capture Rodney's crooked mouth with his own.

The taste of Rodney and waffles was just…perfect. His sub's hands, while not still, were avoiding his hot spots—thankfully. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to stop if Rodney was purposely trying to make him come.

He let his senses sink into his lover, gave himself to the kiss, to giving and taking everything.

They continued to kiss for several minutes, until they both had to pull away, panting heavily, to come up for air. The first thing John heard was Harry's voice—not even close to a whisper voice. "Why don't we do that anymore? We used to do that? Do you remember the time we made John blush so badly he stuttered every time he looked at us for two days straight?"

Blinking, John turned his head slightly to look over at the other couch.

Harry was turned toward Peter, his hand gesturing toward John and Rodney. "We used to make out like teenagers all the time. What am I saying? We were still making out like teenagers a year ago. What's changed? Did you find someone else? Is it me?"

Peter looked shocked. "No! I'd never... I love you! How could you even question that?"

"You only touch me if I ask you to and it's just a quick fuck. What else do you expect me to think? I look forward to when you're not home because I don't have to deal with whatever is wrong. And when you're home, it's like you're not even there anymore. You spend so much time in the club and you're distant."

Rodney shifted in John's arms, whispering in his ear. "I think we started something."

"It sounds like this has needed to happen for a while now," John whispered back. "We'll sit quietly for a few minutes; I don't want to derail them if they're finally talking."

"Harry... I... I love you. I always have and always will... I don't..." Peter was reeling.

Rodney nodded, pressing a kiss to John's earlobe as he relaxed against him.

"That's just words, Peter. Words! At this point, I'm not sure if I believe them anymore. You say you love me, but you refuse to show me. Yes, you let me do whatever I want, agree to whatever I want, but you're not sharing anything with me."

Peter looked down at his lap. "I've had to take care of the club. I thought... I didn't realize it was at your expense."

"We've always had to take care of the club, Peter. Nothing's changed. It was our dream, together, but now…" Harry sighed. "Now it's just another excuse."

Peter was silent for a few minutes. "I've made a mess of things, haven't I? I don't know how to fix this, Harry. But I want to. I can't lose you."

"You have, yes." John cringed at Harry's blunt words.

Peter flinched. "How can I fix this?"

"I don't know, Peter. I've been trying to talk to you for months, but everything else is more important." John was sure he wasn't the only one who heard the silent 'than me' tacked onto the end. Rodney drew in a surprised breath, squeezing John a little tighter. "What do you think you can do to fix this?"

"I'm listening now. You were always the most important thing to me, Harry. I'm guilty of taking you for granted, of just assuming you would be there when I finished whatever it was I was working on, but the way I feel about you has never changed."

"Well that's not what it feels like from my perspective. When's the last time you actually listened to me after you asked me how I was or how my day went? Be honest."

"I always listen. I might not be good at showing it, but I always know where you are and what you're doing." He sighed, and held out a hand to his partner. "You're still the most important person in my life, more important than anything else, including the club. I've let daily work overshadow that, but it doesn't make it less true."

Harry crossed his arms over his chest, tucking his hands close to his body. "The last time you asked me how my day was I spent fifteen minutes talking about an alien invasion in the club and all you said at the end was 'That's nice. Sounds like a busy day.'"

Peter flinched again. He sounded lost. "I'm sorry. So sorry, Harry..."

"You say you're sorry, but you didn't even think anything was wrong. What…how do you think that makes me feel when your…paperwork is more important than your partner? I could have died and you wouldn't have noticed except for maybe the laundry wasn't done when you got back from wherever you went last."

"I knew something was wrong," Peter sighed. "I was just hoping if I ignored it, it would go away. That was obviously stupid but... I didn't know what else to do."

"How about…talk about it? I know it's a novel concept…communication between two people, but it does tend to work at solving difficulties and situations."

"I didn't know exactly what to talk about. To me, at least, it didn't all happen at once. I found myself working more, and you seemed distant, but... I couldn't remember where it had started, or why? I guess I was hoping it was just something temporary, that it was because the club has been getting more popular, and busier, so we had to rush to catch up. But I kept thinking that as soon as it slowed down again, everything else would just fall back into place."

"It never slows down, Peter."

"I'm starting to realize that." Peter looked out the window, shoulders slumping. "When we get home, I'll start looking for a manager. I know I've been resisting the idea for a while, but... you're right. I can't do both, be involved in every decision with the club, and have you."

"We had a manager. You fired him."

"He was incompetent. I'll find someone we can trust to actually do their job without supervision."

"That's fine for the club—if you can find someone you approve of."

"I will. And once I have them in place, I won't have to work as much, or as hard. So I'll have more time for you. And as for now..." Peter looked over at John, and he looked uncomfortable, but determined. "It was pointed out to me that I've been ignoring or dismissing some of your needs. I don't... I don't know if I can be what you want. You know I'm not into the hardcore bondage. But I can learn some of it for you."

"I want you, Peter, however you want to give yourself to me," Harry said, reaching out finally to his lover, grasping his hand. "I've missed you."

Even from across the room, John could see Peter swallow hard. "I'm sorry I put you through that. I didn't... I'll do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again. Just... kick me or something if I start to backslide, okay? I don't want to lose you because I'm being an idiot."

"I'll send John to do the kicking. He's trained for it," Harry said, a brief hint of a smile growing on his lips.

Grunting, Peter tugged, pulling Harry into his lap. John couldn't hear what he whispered, but it made Harry laugh softly.

Rodney shifted in John's arms, pressing another kiss to his skin, lips trailing down his neck.

John turned his attention back to his own lover, giving his friends at least the illusion of privacy for now. "I love you."

"I know," he whispered between light kisses. "I love you, too. We did that before…but we got through it."

"Yeah. I think every couple goes through it. It's too easy to take the person you love most for granted, and it's way too easy to hurt them, even by accident." John pressed his lips to his sub's forehead.

"Mmm," Rodney hummed in agreement, his hands sliding along John's skin. "They have time for some really great make-up sex now."

John grinned. "We can pretend not to notice when they slip into our bedroom."

"Isn't there's a second bedroom…or is that a dungeon? I didn't get the chance to look yet," he said, hands stroking and caressing John's sides and chest. "And what's wrong with the couch?"

"Dungeon. And really great make-up sex needs to be in a bed. You have to be able to spread out and take your time."

"Not sure if Harry will let Peter distract him from shopping," Rodney said with a light chuckle, fingers brushing John's nipples.

John gasped as pleasure shot back through him, pooling directly in his groin. Which, with the tight bathing suit and shorts, just made him moan.

Across the living room he received an echoing moan in return. Rodney just chuckled, continuing to lightly stroke the nubs, tongue held between his teeth as he concentrated.

John's legs spread almost involuntarily, his head falling back. He loved when Rodney played with his body, loved giving his sub the time to touch and tease.

"Can I take care of you today? Make you feel good?" Rodney whispered as his leaned in again, lips brushing John's ear.

It made John shiver. He knew his sub could be very creative when he wanted to be. "Yes. In fact... I want you to... to make me come as many times as you can, in as many ways as you can. You have permission to play with my body today."

Rodney purred in satisfaction. "All day?"

"All day." It might kill him, but what a way to go. "And at least one of the times must include me fucking you."

"I'll take care of you, John. I promise," Rodney whispered, his fingers renewing their torment of his nipples.

"Oh..." John arched, trying to get more. So good, so fucking good...

"Shhh…I'll take care of you."

All of John's higher brain power was short-circuiting as Rodney played. A pleasure feedback loop was building, and he could feel it pooling at the base of his spine.

But before John was able to get more sensation on his nipples, Rodney moved off, running his hands down John's sides and back instead. He moaned in complaint, but Rodney quickly shifted, covering John's mouth with his own, kissing him deeply, intensely.

John whimpered into his lover's mouth, pushing up for more, but Rodney was on a mission, and he managed to evade John's pleasure-drunk moves. John finally gave up, letting his sub have everything.

Rodney continued to tease him, his touches getting lighter until John could breathe again. Rodney nibbled at his bottom lip, pressing a few more kisses before pulling back a little, forehead resting against John's. "Feel good?"

"Mmmmmm." John's lips curved, and he leaned into Rodney. "Goo."

His lover chuckled softly. "You seem to have misplaced the 'd' in that word."

"Mmmmph." John wasn't up to complete words just yet, and he hadn't even come. Damn, he was going to be dead by the end of the day if this was what Rodney had in mind.

"This is what you do to me, John," he whispered, fingers stroking the side of his face. "I always feel so good. On edge, but it's soft and perfect and you do it to me all the time."

John's lips parted, and his heart did a little double-flip. God, if he made Rodney feel half this good... "Love you..."

"I love you, too. And I'll take care of you today, John, my master." Rodney kissed him gently.

John sucked his sub's tongue into his mouth, deepening the kiss, loving the way Rodney tasted, felt against him. Life didn't get any more perfect than this.

They kissed for several more minutes and John could feel his arousal growing again. He'd be surprised if there wasn't a wet spot on the front of his shorts just from his pre-come. When he felt Rodney's fingers at his waist, unbuttoning his shorts, he groaned.

"Please..." He whispered. Even he wasn't sure what he was asking for though.

Rodney didn't answer, but instead shifted off of John's lap, kneeling in front of the couch. His hands spread John's legs wide and he moved in, dragging his hands up John's cloth-covered thighs. He smiled up at John as his fingers grazed John's stomach, sending a shiver through his body.

"God…yes..."

Another broader smile and then Rodney was ducking his head, his hands making quick work of the button and zipper of his shorts. He leaned down, breathing deeply, warming the fabric of John's Speedo with his breath.

His hips would have bucked up if Rodney didn't have a firm grip on them. The noise that came from John's throat was a cross between a whine and a moan, wrapped up in a plea for more.

But Rodney didn't stop. He leaned closer, mouthing him through the fabric.

"Pleasepleaseplease, oh god, Rodney..."

His sub backed off then, rubbing his hands along John's sides.

"Nononono, please, please..."

But Rodney didn't move, didn't budge. His hands were still, solid, holding John in place.

It was only his promise that Rodney could have today, could do anything he wanted, that kept John from flipping them and taking his sub. Instead, he vibrated the need to come making him moan softly.

Rodney waited. Completely still, he waited. John heard Peter and Harry on the other couch panting and moaning, the sound of skin gliding against skin. The sounds only intensified his own needs.

Finally, John dropped his head, shaking with need. "Please..."

It was only then, when that one pleading words was uttered, did Rodney move. His hands were gentle, easing the Speedo away from his aching dick, his mouth enveloping it a moment later.

"Oh, god, yes, Rodney, oh, please, more, don't stop, love you..."

And Rodney didn't. He worked John over with his very talented mouth, bringing him to the edge and then pulling him back over and over again. When he was finally begging without words, Rodney swallowed him fully, his cock hitting the back of Rodney's throat.

That was all it took. John came with a strangled scream. It felt like his entire soul was pouring out of his dick and into Rodney. It was just one more piece of him Rodney now owned, completely.

When he came back to himself, he was on his side on the couch and gathered in Rodney's arms.

"Nnnnnngh."

"Shhh," Rodney whispered, his hands stroking down his back. "I've got you."

Smiling, John nuzzled his lover's chest with his nose and purred.

"Love you," he whispered, hooking John's leg with his ankle.

"Love you, too." John whispered it, not feeling up to much more. He let himself drift, feeling really, really good.

They stayed wrapped around each other for a long while, soft touches and sighs their only movement or sound. Honestly, Peter and Harry were making enough noise for both couples.

John grinned into Rodney's chest as he heard his friends very loudly find their own finish.

His lover chuckled quietly, his body shaking as he tried to hold in the sounds. It took a minute or two before Rodney was able to duck down close to John's ear. "I think they made up."

"Hmm, I'm not sure. Should we ask them?"

"Might want to wait a few minutes."

"It's only polite I suppose." John tilted his head to look at Rodney, sharing a happy smile with him.

"You okay?" he asked, returning John's smile.

"Better than okay."

"Good. I have plans."

"Mmm, I don't know who benefits more from your plans, me or you. But I hope you never stop having them." John leaned up enough to brush their lips together.

"You. Definitely you."

Grinning, John let his body relax back against Rodney's. "And you won't find a single complaint here."

"Good. I should be the one complaining since I'm guessing I won't be coming until tomorrow sometime." Rodney kissed him again, light and playful.

"Hmm, maybe. You get free access to my body today, but your body still belongs to me."

"As it should. Besides, you know what I like."

John hummed his agreement. He knew Rodney enjoyed days when he wasn't allowed to come. John would decide later if he would let his sub orgasm, but for now, at least, John would be the only one coming.

Rodney kissed him again, letting his hands cup John's ass.

Closing his eyes, John let the soft caresses soothe him. The noises from the other couch had died down, and all he heard now was the same languid breathing he and Rodney were enjoying.

The quiet was nice. The smell of sex in the air was weird, but good. Harry's very loud statement about ten minutes later was just so…Harry. "I think I want to shop now."

It made John laugh hard enough to almost jostle both him and Rodney off the couch. "We could do that."

"Shopping might be fun," Rodney said with a knowing smile, his eyes sliding to the papers on the coffee table. The brochure on top was for one of the BDSM boutiques.

Sitting up slowly, John reached out to cup Rodney's face. "If there's anything in particular you see that you want while we're out, tell me."

"I will. Any rules for while we're out?"

John thought about it for a minute. "You'll have a leash on, and I want you within touching distance of me at all times. You're allowed to touch, in return, as much as you would like. For now, you won't be blindfolded or gagged, since we're also visiting."

"And I can take care of you. You said."

Smiling, John leaned in to kiss him. "Yes. You can take care of me, and touch me, and make me come, and have as much fun with my body as you want. That's in effect until we go to sleep tonight."

"Good," Rodney said with a pleased smile.

"So are you done with the kissing? I want to shop."

Laughing again, John glanced over at Harry. "For the moment. I can't guarantee the mood won't strike again in a few minutes though." He stood slowly, making sure his legs would hold him.

Harry and Peter were tangled together on the opposite couch, the two of them mostly naked except for odd pieces of clothing—a sandal, watch, one shirt, really small bikini underwear around an ankle.

It made John's grin even wider. "Do you need a minute to get cleaned up? I probably have spare pants if you need them."

"No, we're good," Peter answered easily. "It's all here somewhere."

John noted that Peter actually looked more relaxed than he had since they had arrived. Sex wouldn't fix all their problems, but he hoped now that they had a chance to talk a bit, and reconnect, they would figure the rest out as well. "Well, we're ready to shop when you are. I just need to go grab the leash from the bedroom."

"Do you have a spare collar? I want to make sure Harry has something on him. I don't want anything to happen to him."

John nodded. "There are a few here. Let me go grab them, and you can pick the one you want."

Peter looked at Harry for a long moment before nodding. "That would be great. We didn't take some things into consideration when we planned our trip here."

John gave him a soft smile. "They have a lot of things here, you can get some in the store, or you can borrow anything we aren't using that we brought of our own stuff. All you have to do is ask."

"We're not…this isn't us," Peter said, a hand waving toward Rodney and John. "Compared to most people here, we're plain vanilla. We've used a chastity cage before. We've played a little, but that's it."

Shrugging, John ducked into the bedroom to grab the leash and extra collars, talking as he came back out. "No one says you have to be anything in particular. If it makes you both feel good, do it. If it doesn't, don't. You have an opportunity at a place like this to go out of your comfort zone a little and experiment without any fear of censure or even any investment, since all the equipment is included with the rooms."

Peter looked at Harry again. "We'll talk about it. We are here."

Harry smiled, leaning into Peter. "That's all I want, lover. Talk to me, and really listen. Don't just dismiss out of hand."

Rodney's hand grazed John's arm as soon as he got close enough to the couch.

"I said we can try some things," Peter said, his hands cupping Harry's face.

Setting out the collars on the table, John had made sure to grab the less intimidating ones—although not Rodney's jeweled collar. That one was for him alone. Then he moved over and snapped the leash onto the collar Rodney was wearing, relaxing as he had that visible connection again.

Peter kissed Harry tenderly before turning his attention to the collars on the table. Rodney used the leash John had just attached to tug John down next to him.

John went willingly, turning so he could pull Rodney into his arms. "From my observation, the thin rubber is probably the most versatile of that bunch, since you wouldn't have to take it off to shower and such. The leather can't get wet, but is probably a bit more comfortable. What would you say, Rodney? You're the one who wears them, so you're our expert."

"Pick something temporary for now and buy something nicer in the store," he said, relaxing in John's arms. "I'd go for comfort now—so the leather one with the fur lining might be nice—little hot, but comfortable."

He pressed a kiss to Rodney's temple. "For everyday use, Rodney wears his platinum collar. But it's a lot more delicate, so while we're here, we're using the more heavy-duty variety."

"The one you bought him for your anniversary," Harry said, glancing up at John.

Glancing over, John nodded, smiling. He had almost forgotten they were there for that. "Yes. He wears that set most of the time, when we aren't actively playing."

"Good. It was a nice set," Harry said, leaning forward to feel the leather collar Rodney had pointed out.

"John?" Rodney asked, drawing his attention.

"Yeah?" All of John's attention went immediately back to his lover.

"Would you be willing to wear a cuff today? Just one."

That surprised him, and both eyebrows went up. "If you'd like me to. I gave you free reign with my body today, so if you want me to wear a cuff, I will. Any particular one in mind?"

"A locking one. Any you want. But, I want you to attach the leash to it."

"My end?"

"Yes. And lock both ends. I want us connected like that. So no one can separate us."

Humming, John nodded. "Come with me. We'll get one, and I'm not taking your leash off or leaving it here while I go in the other room."

"Do what you have to do, John," Peter said, reaching for his boxers as he sat up on the couch. "We'll be a few minutes."

John waved at them as he tugged Rodney into the bedroom. He opened the drawer with the cuffs, all laid out for them. "So no preferences?"

Rodney's eyes looked over all of them and then shook his head. "Not really. I want it obvious, though, that I belong to you."

Tapping a finger against his lips, John finally pointed at a leather one, fur lined, with an intricate pattern etched into its surface. It locked, and had a small, tasteful O-ring on the underside.

"That's nice. We need locks, too."

"I have some in the other drawer. They all use my key, so I won't have to worry about not being able to get out of it later." Pulling out his chosen piece, John retrieved the lock as well. After a moment, he decided on his left hand, slipping on the restraint and locking it into place before attaching his end of the leash to the ring. He added a lock to Rodney's end as well, securing the leash to the two of them.

Rodney smiled, leaning in to kiss John. "Thank you."

"That's my line." Smiling, John kissed him again, deeper this time, although he stopped it before they got too distracted.

"Now we don't have to be worried about anything."

"Everyone will know you belong to me. And only me."

"Not that there was really a doubt before, but…I like this." Rodney smiled shyly.

John had to give him another quick kiss. "I like this too. I'm glad you thought of it."

"So. Time to shop?"

"If Harry and Peter have managed to get themselves together again. Is there anything in particular you want to look for, or are we just going to be opportunists?"

"Browsing is good."

They wandered back out to the living room. "You guys ready?"

Thankfully they were dressed this time, but Peter was carefully fastening one of the collars on Harry—the one Rodney'd suggested. "Just about," Peter said, glancing toward John. "I see you have an accessory, too."

Holding up his arm, John turned it so his friend could get a better look. "I like this one. And I like that I'm connected to Rodney without any worries about dropping the leash, or someone trying to separate us. He's mine, and there's no doubt about it."

Peter chuckled. "I hate to tell you, but there wasn't any doubt before."

"Hey! That's what I said, too," Rodney said with a smile.

John grinned. "Maybe not, but a little physical display never hurts, either."

"True," Rodney said as he moved behind John, wrapping his arms around him, resting his chin on John's shoulder.

"Am I going to need a leash or anything?" Peter asked, finally rising to his feet. "He should be okay with just the collar, right?"

John made sure to hide his smile. Peter was trying, hard, and he wasn't going to derail that for Harry. "You can use a leash if you want, but no, no one should bother you as long as he has a collar on. A sub with a collar is officially claimed and off-limits."

"Good," Peter said with a nod and something close to relief flashing across his face. "So, shopping?" He glanced at Harry who was still fingering the leather around his neck.

"Feels nice, doesn’t it?" Rodney asked quietly.

Harry blushed a little, and nodded, throwing a glance at Peter. "I like it. I like that everyone will know without asking that I'm taken"

His lover held out his hand, drawing Harry to his feet. He threaded their fingers together a moment later. "I think we're ready."

"We'll follow you then. You know the way." John threaded his own hand through Rodney's, keeping him close.

Peter nodded and they headed off, walking slowly through the paths, kind of toward the beach, but not. It was a different section of the resort John hadn't been to yet. Rodney had lifted their clasped hands as they walked, the fingers of his free hand tracing the edges of John's cuff.

As a group, they stayed away from any heavy topics, just chatting and enjoying the breeze.

The shops—when they finally stumbled across them—were tastefully set back among the palm trees and plant growth and there were more here than John originally thought. They ended up wandering from one to another to another until Rodney leaned into him, whispering in his ear. "You need to eat."

Blinking, John turned his attention back to his sub, from the surfboard he had been oogling. "Hmm?"

"Lunch. There's a café over there." Rodney pointed out the door of the store to the central piazza.

"Are you hungry?" John let his sub start tugging him in the direction he had waved.

"A little, but you need to eat, too. You started squinting a few minutes ago and rubbing the back of your neck."

John blinked again. "I do that when I'm hungry?"

"I'm sure they have turkey here," Rodney said instead, concentrating on maneuvering them through the store and outside. "I think I saw Harry and Peter headed there a few minutes ago."

"Oh, okay." John did see their friends over in a booth, and wandered over with Rodney when they waved. "I didn't even see you guys leave the store."

"Rodney did," Harry said, handing John the menu as Rodney settled next to him on the bench.

Glancing at the menu, John was still distracted. "What sounds good?"

Rodney leaned over his shoulder, pointing at the sandwiches. "This looks good."

"Okay." John waved over a waiter and waved a hand at the sandwich Rodney had pointed to without really looking at it. His mind was, admittedly, still on the surfboard, and trying to figure out how he would get it to Atlantis if he bought it... "We'll take one of these, to share between us."

"Of course, sir," the waiter said with a nod. "And to drink?"

"Coffee," Rodney leaned in, whispering in John's ear.

"Coffee," he repeated, smiling at his sub.

"Of course. Milk and sugar?"

"Both. And if you could bring the pot for the table, that'd be fantastic."

"One cup, or two for the table?"

Hesitating, John glanced over at Peter. "We'll just need one. Peter?"

"No coffee for me," he said. "Harry wants some though."

"Two cups." John smiled at the waiter.

"Certainly. I'll return with the coffee momentarily."

John leaned back against the booth, pulling his sub close. "So did you guys end up buying anything?"

Peter shrugged. "A few things. We're not done yet, though."

"We're still surfing later, right?"

"Of course he is," Harry answered immediately.

John chuckled. "Good. I'm looking forward to it even more now. God, they had the most amazing board in there..." His eyes went dreamy.

"So buy it," Rodney said with a smile. "You have the money."

"Mmm. Dunno if I could get it home. It would completely blow away my cargo limits. But God, if I could figure out a way to get it past Caldwell..."

"I'll put it in with the science stuff."

John grinned at him. "Even you might have trouble justifying a surfboard in with the equipment. It doesn't exactly look like a computer, or fit in a duffel that can be shoved in a shipping container."

"If you want it, I'll get it to fit. You might be the Grand Poobah of Packing and Fucking, but I am the master of getting my way—when it comes to my department, of course." Rodney smiled shyly.

John looked at him for a moment, and then knew his grin was splitting his face. "The science department really does need a surf board."

"Of course it does, along with several other…more personal items." Rodney returned his smile, but his cheeks were highlighted in red as he shifted in the seat next to John.

He had to lean over, pulling his sub in for a few light kisses. "I love you."

"I know," Rodney whispered in return once John pulled back, his contentment written into every inch of his face. His right hand was trailing along the waistband of John's shorts, fingers dipping down underneath it, rubbing the top-most part of his ass.

Licking his lips, John shifted to give his lover as much access as he could. Looking at Peter and Harry with hooded eyes, he grinned. "My sub is fucking awesome."

"Oh, we knew that already," Harry said with a smile. "Probably a minute after we first met him we knew…well, I knew that this was the perfect match for you. I couldn't…we couldn't have been more right about it."

John schooled his face to the most sappy, ridiculous expression he could manage. "He completes me."

Peter rolled his eyes while Harry chuckled lightly. The waiter returned then with a full pot of coffee, two mugs, and the usual assortment of cream and sugars. "We are so happy for the two of you," Harry gushed. "You needed something, John, and I think finding Rodney was just…perfect. Peter and I had been considering blind dates or something if you didn't figure it out on your own soon."

Flushing, he shrugged. "I didn't realize how much I needed someone to steady me, give me a purpose, until I found him. I knew I was starting to spiral out of control, but I didn't know how to pull out of it. He jerked me right up, and now it's perfect blue skies."

"Ever since Nancy…" Peter's voice trailed off.

He shrugged. "I loved her, but I don't think I was ever in love with her, if that makes sense."

"Your father loved her," Peter said quietly. Rodney had stilled beside John, listening intently, his hand, though, continued to stroke his lover's back in a soothing, gentle rhythm.

"She was the perfect executive wife. He hoped if I married her, I'd suddenly be whipped into shape, and conform to the mold he had in mind for me. I think that's why he won't talk to me at all anymore. I was disowned for divorcing her."

"Technically, that probably wasn't the only thing you were disowned for," Harry said, pouring himself coffee. "If you want to get down to the specifics."

"True, but that was the proverbial straw." John shrugged.

"So it wasn't the guy you brought home the night you signed the papers, then?" Harry tore the top off two Equal packets, dumping them in the cup.

John flinched. "That probably didn't help, no."

Rodney leaned in closer, sliding in behind John a little so he could rest his chin on his shoulder and wrap his arms around him.

"No, I imagine it didn't," Harry said, stirring in the cream. "You were on a plane that night if I remember correctly, all your stuff packed into one suitcase. I don't know who was more surprised when you were at our doorstep at two in the morning—you or us."

John relaxed back into his lover. He hated talking about this, but he also wanted Rodney to know more about his past. He knew he had a hard time talking about stuff like this sometimes, so chatting with Harry about it was a good compromise. "Did you know he tried to freeze all of my bank accounts, too? Fortunately, I had moved all of my money into accounts outside of his control, but I was seriously pissed when I found out what he was doing."

"Doesn't surprise me. The first time I met him I knew I didn't like him," Harry said with a wave of his hand. "He was always watching, looking for something to exploit."

With a sigh, John turned his head to rest it against Rodney's head. "He's a business man. His view of the world is based in profit and loss; emotion and affection have nothing to do with it. I was good in math, have an advanced degree in it, therefore I should have been an accountant and taken over that role in the company. When I didn't, it moved me firmly into that loss column."

"Why are we talking about him now?" Peter asked after a moment of silence. "Honestly, I'm sure John would take a perverse pleasure if his father could see him now, like this."

"I don't know. Maybe. I think, even after everything, I'd like to hear him say he was proud of me, of what I've accomplished. I know damn well he'll never approve of my love life or my partner, but... I guess I've got enough of the perverse in me that I'd still like to, I don't know, get approval of some part of my life. But that will never happen." He shrugged again, careful not to dislodge Rodney.

"You have mine," Rodney whispered in his ear, squeezing him tighter for a moment.

"And that's a normal feeling," Harry said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Every child wants to receive their parent's approval. It's natural. When you don't get it, there's a sense of…loss. Even more so than when you lose a friend or partner. In some ways it might even strike harder because it's so engrained in us to have our parent's approval."

"Maybe." He sighed, allowing himself the comfort of his lover's embrace, letting it soothe away all the old aches. "But this is a depressing turn of conversation."

"Then we should change the topic," Harry said. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Dunno. Why don't you pick something?" He grinned.

"We did. Shopping and your father. It's your turn," Harry said, returning the smile. Rodney was still half wrapped around him, his hands though started dipping lower and lower as he caressed John's stomach.

"Mmmm," John's legs spread a little under the table. "How about my brother? He and I drifted apart once I was disowned, and we were never exactly close, but we weren't at odds like I was with our father. Have you heard anything about Dave?"

"Last we heard, he was being groomed for the family business," Peter said, wrapping his hands around his glass of water. "But that was a year or so ago."

Rodney's hands paused momentarily, but only long enough to open John's shorts, parting the fabric to give him better access.

"Well that's not surprising. He was always more interested in the business than I was."

One of Rodney's hands started rubbing his cock through the fabric of his Speedo, his touch firm and soft at the same time. He pressed a kiss just under John's ear, the words he whispered were so quietly John almost didn't catch them. "Feel so good. Taste so good."

"There was a newspaper article about him and his wife a few months back. Nothing big or fancy, just something in the People section," Harry said. "I think they were contributing to a woman's shelter or something."

John's breath stuttered, and it was only force of will that kept the moan in. "That's... that's good."

Rodney hummed his agreement, continuing to stroke John with one hand, while his other hand sat firmly in the center of John's chest, grounding him.

"Guess they have to do something with all of their money," Harry said. "I can think of a number of charities they could contribute to. Maybe I should write a letter and give him some suggestions."

"Sci…scientific advancement..." A little moan did manage to escape this time.

"I was thinking something more along the lines of AIDS research," Harry said.

"S'a good cause..." John was trying hard to stay focused on the conversation. "Needs... needs to be... solved."

"We think so. We make a sizable donation every year. A few other charities as well," Harry said.

Rodney's hand had gotten firmer and John started panting. "I... yes."

Harry and Peter were chuckling as they watched from across the table. "I take it Rodney has things well in hand," Peter said.

"He... oh fuck..." John bucked as his lover found a sensitive spot.

Rodney hummed, licking a patch of skin just under John's earlobe. "Can you come for me, John? Want to make you feel good."

"Oh god..." John arched, his body shaking. So close, so close...

His lover bit down, sucking that piece of skin he'd been licking into his mouth as he pressed down a little firmer on John's dick.

"Nnnnrgh!" He came, his body responding. Rodney knew how to get what he wanted.

Rodney held him up, stroked him through his climax. By the time he slumped back against his lover, the front of his Speedo was soaked, the light breeze on the wet fabric against his sensitive skin making him shiver. His sub was humming in contentment, kissing the spot where he'd marked John on his neck.

"Mmmmmmmmph."

The conversation picked up a few moments later, Rodney chatting quietly with Harry and Peter as John let himself drift for a few minutes, his sated body slumped against his sub.

This was good. This was really good.

By the time he pulled himself back to the conversation, Peter and Harry were half finished with their lunch, but Rodney hadn’t touched theirs—some huge turkey sandwich with French fries and pickle spears. The second coffee cup was still empty, too.

Rodney was waiting for him.

"…parents were surprised to say the least," Rodney was saying. "I don't think they ever expected to see the CIA on their front step. Dad, of course, was proud of my achievement. My mother was mortified."

John managed to move a little, grabbed a fry and holding it up to Rodney's lips.

He took it immediately, talking while he chewed. "The mothers up and down the block gave her such looks for the next month or two. If she could have hidden somewhere or gone on an extended vacation, I'm sure she would have."

John pressed a kiss to Rodney's neck, and ate a fry.

"But why?" Harry looked confused. "I would think she would be proud."

"I never fit in. I was years ahead of my peers and it made things…difficult. She wanted a normal family."

"But... having such a talented son. I would have been proud."

"Dad was." Rodney shrugged. "He encouraged me to read everything I could, to study anything I wanted. He bought me college textbooks when I was eight. He didn't care about what the neighbors thought."

"That's the right attitude!" Harry waved his fry around.

"I guess," Rodney said with another shrug. "It meant we had a battleground in our house every night when dad got home."

"Not a good way to grow up," Peter noted. "I guess normal childhoods aren't something any of us know anything about."

"My sister was mom's favorite, but that only lasted so long."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. When she caught her reading my books one afternoon after school when she was ten, she'd had enough."

"Your sister is as intelligent as you are?"

John perked up. Sister?

Rodney nodded. "She didn't build a working model of a nuclear bomb, but she grasped the concepts almost as quickly as I did. Mom…she'd had enough by then with me. She didn't want to watch her only daughter go through the same things."

"What did she do?" Harry leaned forward.

"I came home from school one day and she was gone."

"Your mother?"

Rodney nodded, shifting slightly. "Packed everything she could into the suitcases we owned."

"Wow." Harry's eyes were wide.

John wrapped his arms around his sub, tugging him closer.

He relaxed easily against John, offering a shrug to Harry. "It was what it was. Dad found a college that would take me at fourteen and I went. I didn't really have to deal with it."

"What about your sister?"

"What about her?"

"What happened to her? If she's as smart as you are, did she follow in your footsteps?"

He shook his head. "For a while. I haven't talked to her in years."

"Why not?" John fed him another fry.

Rodney took it, chewing for a few beats before answering. "We had a difference of opinion we couldn't resolve."

John kissed his sub's shoulder, trying to offer comfort.

"She had potential," he said with a shrug. "But that's enough of my skeletons; did you see any collars you liked yet?"

They all took the hint. Harry bounced a little in the seat as John started to feed them both sandwich and coffee. "I've seen several that were pretty interesting. I want to take you over and see what you think."

"You're the one who'll be wearing it. You have to like it."

"Yes, but there are a few different materials, and I just don't know enough about them to know what the real differences are yet."

Rodney chewed the bite John had given him before answering. "I guess the real question is: what do you want to do with it once you get it?"

Harry looked at Peter. "We're still…talking about that."

"Talking is good." Rodney said with a nod. "Better than the ignoring and fighting you were doing before."

Peter glared for a moment, then flushed and looked away. "Okay, yes, I was being an ass. I'm working on that, all right?"

"Yes. You were," Rodney said, not pulling any punches. "I know what that's like firsthand so I have no problems with telling you—or in this case agreeing with you—that you were an ass."

John sat back a little, feeding his lover, but otherwise staying out of it. Peter needed to hear different perspectives, especially from people he considered more or less unbiased. His friend sighed. "I can't change who I am. I can't... be what John is."

"Harry wasn't asking you to be anything other than yourself and maybe try something a little new. Is that so much to ask?"

"No, it's not. I know that." Peter made a face. "We can all agree I'm something of an idiot, and can we move past this now? I'm trying. If Harry wants to wear a collar... I don't know how I feel about it outside of a setting like this, but if he wants one to wear while we're here, we'll get him one."

"We'll get him one?" Rodney shifted forward. "This isn't a group buying decision."

Peter made another face. "Fine. I'll get him one. Whichever one he wants."

John heard his lover's sigh of annoyance at Peter's tone. "So that's all this is to you. Something else to buy for him. You can throw more money at the problem."

"I...I just want to make him happy."

"That's a good thing to want to do for your lover and partner." The sarcasm had hit and John flinched a little.

Peter straightened, looking like he was going to fight. Then he glanced over and saw Harry's expression, and deflated a little. "I'm not very good at this, but I'm trying. That has to count for something."

Rodney dipped his head briefly before leaning against John again. "It's a start. But guilt is always a good motivator."

John decided to jump back in at this point. "Yes, I can attest to that. Some day I'll have to tell you about when I lost him, and had to win him back."

Harry turned his attention back to John as Rodney squirmed a little next to him. "What do you mean, almost lost him?"

"Not almost. I did lose him. We were apart for…a while. A few months. I had to win him back."

"I was stubborn about it, too." Rodney turned, offering John a small smile.

"We both were stupid. I fucked up, and you had every right to be pissed at me. I'm just glad I was able to get you back." John leaned in, kissing him softly.

"Me, too," Rodney said softly. "Things would have been very different if you hadn't."

"I couldn't do it without you, not anymore. Not knowing what I was missing out on."

"I would have self-destructed a long time ago."

John brushed their lips together again briefly. "We both would have, I think."

"I almost did, even with you there."

"Shh. It's in the past now. We don't have to worry about it anymore."

Rodney leaned his forehead against John's, closing his eyes. Some of it was still very close, John knew. He'd still been seeing Kate regularly up until the day they left—ever since he started after Castrinas' suicide. Rodney was still battling with his demons, but with John's and Kate's help, he was starting to gain some ground.

After a few minutes, they both got control enough of themselves to tune back into their friends. John picked up more or less where he had left off. "I did something... really stupid. And he left me because of it. I had to woo him back."

But Peter and Harry were focused on Rodney, concern and worry on their faces.

"Self destructed?" It was Harry who shifted closer.

Rodney nodded reluctantly, his hand shifting, searching out John's.

With a sigh, John wrapped his arm around his sub, pulling him in close. "Where we're stationed is... hard but rewarding, and also unforgiving at times. We're all pushed to our limits, and then beyond. One of our scientists couldn't take it any more, and took his own life. It…hit Rodney hard. I think we came closer to losing him than I'm really comfortable with. But together, and with the help of some good friends, I think we're out of the danger zone."

"Oh, Rodney…" Harry reached across the table, grasping the scientist's other hand.

John turned his face into his lover, needing the reassurance that he really was okay. "If I lost him..."

"Is that why you really wanted a vacation like this?" Peter asked. "To get away from everything."

Looking back up, John nodded. "That's a big reason, yes. We have to hide our relationship from all but a few close friends on base, and when you add in the stress of the situation... We needed some time to reconnect, and I needed to help Rodney find his center again."

Rodney's hand rubbed John's back reassuringly. "It hasn't been easy. John's had to work for it, but we're coming along."

Huffing, John smiled at him. "Yes. And it doesn't help that I haven't been without my share of issues, too. All in all, it's been a really hard year."

"At least this time you're taking vacation together," Peter said. "The last time was hard on John."

They both nodded. "Although last time I was here it wasn't so much vacation as it was inquisition. At least now I'm mostly over the issues from that damn drug." He shivered, grateful to have Rodney's solid presence next to him.

Rodney managed to get his hand free from Harry's, placing it instead on John's groin, his expert fingers beginning to rub and stroke him through the fabric. "My only regret is not being able to stay longer," Rodney said quietly. "By the time we're really enjoying ourselves it will be time to go home."

Surprised, and still a little sensitive, John let out a moan before he could stop it. "Yes... but this is…this is really nice too. We needed this, badly. When we go home, neither of us will be so close to the edge anymore."

"Different edge," Rodney whispered, leaving into John, his tongue licking a stripe up his neck toward his earlobe.

"Gaaaahh…Yes....the good...good kind of edge."

Rodney's clever, clever hands worked his shorts open and then before John knew it, he was scratching his short nails along the fabric of John's Speedo right over the head of his dick.

Arching, John keened, unable to help it, his head falling back with a soft thud against the padded booth.

His lover shifted against him, the leash brushing against John's overly-sensitive skin. It was like he could feel Rodney's touch everywhere, as if his body was straining for it, desperate for it. Then his sub's lips touched the skin around his nipple, teeth fastening down on it.

With almost a scream, John was coming again, his body giving up everything.

When he came back to himself a few minutes later, his body was turned into Rodney, curled into him, his sub holding him close as he chatted with Harry and Peter. He picked up a few words here and there. From the gist, it seemed like they were talking about collars again.

He wasn't ready to let go of the floaty feeling yet, so he hummed to let Rodney know he was conscious, but otherwise settled more firmly into the other man's body.

Rodney paused in his comment long enough to press a kiss to John's forehead, squeezing John slightly, before continuing the conversation. This was…nice. Really nice. John had been pleasantly surprised that Rodney had asked him to do this today. He liked it when Rodney took the initiative sometimes and it seemed like his sub was getting more comfortable with doing this on occasion—even without John asking for it.

Progress indeed.

He let himself just drift for a bit, before forcing himself to tune back in. "Mmm?"

"Do you mind if we finish eating? Peter and Harry want to go shopping a little more."

"Course." John blinked slowly at them. "Hi."

Harry's smile was blinding. "Relaxed is a good look for you, Johnny."

He didn't have the blood left to flush, so he grinned a little goofily instead. "Feels good, too."

"Sorry to wake you," Rodney said quietly. "But I need to eat a little something."

"M'hungry too. Wasn't sleeping, just relaxed."

"We'll meet you in the boutiques," Peter said as they rose to their feet. "We have some shopping to do."

"'Kay." John shifted up a little once they were gone, idly picking up a small piece of sandwich—it had been cut into bite-sized pieces by the kitchen staff—and feeding it to his lover. "Thank you for this. I didn't realize how much I needed it, too."

"All for your pleasure, sir," Rodney whispered before taking the food, chewing it carefully.

"Best. Sub. Ever." John smiled softly at him, leaning in to press a kiss to Rodney's lips before taking a bite of food for himself.

"As long as you're happy, I'm good. I want you to enjoy our vacation, too."

"I most assuredly am." John wrapped an arm around Rodney to settle him in close, and they finished their lunch quietly soaking in one another's presence.

John let Rodney finish off the cup of coffee before handing him a bottle of water the waiter had dropped off. His lover took it, drinking down several sips before handing it back. "Are you up for some more shopping or did you want to do something else before we headed to the beach?"

"Why don't we see if we can find Peter and Harry before we head down? I'll feel better about leaving you on the sand if I know Harry is there with you."

"Okay," Rodney said with a smile, pressing a light kiss to John's lips before they rose to their feet, walking slowly back toward the shops. "Did you remember the key or are you going to bring me swimming with you?"

Chuckling as they rose, John pulled Rodney in for a quick, hard kiss. "I have it in my pocket. And were you serious about finding a way to smuggle that board home?"

"If you want it, I'll get it home for you." Rodney's voice was firm, sure.

"Mmm, then I think I might go back for it. It was a thing of beauty. I haven't seen a board that nice in a long time, and the last time I did, I couldn't afford it. I pined over that thing years after I had seen it. I don't want to let another get away from me."

"So get it. I don't have my wallet or anything, though. Did you even bring my wallet?"

"No. Your wallet is back home, and mine is in the room. But we can just give them our room number, and it will be put on the final bill. Once of the nice points of staying on the grounds."

Rodney pulled back, looking at him with surprise on his face. "You mean I only have my passport? Nothing else?"

"You don't need anything else." It was John's turn to be firm. "You're mine. Anything you need, I'll provide it. We compromise on that in other areas of our life, but in this place, like this, I won't give up my right to take care of you however I see fit."

His sub was silent for a long moment and John was almost sure he was going to protest and argue with him, but instead he nodded slowly. "I just…I didn't realize. It took me by surprise, that's all."

Stopping in the middle of the walkway, John tugged him in close again, pressing a kiss to his lover's forehead. "I don't get to pamper you like this very often. I wanted to take advantage of it."

"It's…" Rodney paused, leaning back to look John in the eye, his gaze level. "I like it."

"Good. Because I like doing it. I love you, and spoiling you a little—or more than a little—is something I always want to do more of."

Rodney smiled, chuckling lightly. "More than a little."

They started walking again, hand-in-hand. "Hey, I've got a super hot, super smart sub. You can't blame me for not only wanting to show you off to the world, but wanting to shower you with love, affection, and anything else that catches my fancy."

"So, if I saw something I wanted…" He glanced shyly toward John.

"It would be yours." John smiled, encouraging him.

"Can we browse a little more then?"

"Of course. We're not in any hurry. Which store did you want to hit?"

"Did you want to order your board first?"

"Sure." The surf shop was actually one of the first in the line, so they wandered back in. It only took John about ten minutes to purchase the board, and arrange to have it prepped for use, including waxing, and delivered to the beach kiosk. He would pick it up there later, and try it out this afternoon.

Rodney had stood behind him the entire time John had been making the arrangements, his arms wrapped around John's waist, chin on his shoulder.

"All right, we're all done here. What did you want to look at next?" John turned his head enough to press a kiss to Rodney's cheek.

"Some of the bondage stuff."

"That was over there." John pointed to a store that had a variety of straps and equipment in the windows. They walked inside and started browsing.

Rodney wandered around, John following closely behind, the leash connecting them together. He fingered the cuff, unaccustomed to the weight on his wrist as he watched Rodney shop. He touched and fingered several of the products, but ended up going back to a few several times. He liked the thick-strapped full body harness and a few of the really large plugs. Some of those would take a lot of stretching to get them in place.

Surprisingly, he was also looking at the paddles.

John stepped up behind him, wrapping his arms around Rodney's waist. "What are you thinking about?"

"I think I want a few of these," he said quietly, fingers grazing the surface of several paddles.

Rodney had never been a fan of pain, but John had to admit, the idea of fucking a bright red, warm ass made his spent dick perk up a little. "If we get them, I'd want at least one meant for punishment only, and a few meant for pleasure."

He nodded, tugging out a larger paddle and handing it to John. It was a thick wood, beautifully made, and would hurt. "For punishment."

"Good choice." John kissed the side of his sub's neck. "This one won't get used then, unless I feel like you've done something you need to be punished for. You don't get to ask for it, and you won't be allowed to say no if I decide to use it."

"This one, too," he said after a moment, handing John another thick paddle, this one leather and something else. "Punishment." His hands were digging again, pulling two others out, too. These were more flexible, thinner. They'd hurt, but not as much. "Pleasure."

"Mmm, and that." John pointed to the wall nearby where a variety of floggers were hanging. The one that caught his eye was made of suede, and was mixed in with strands of what looked like feathers. It would be a sensual experience for Rodney, to feel that against his skin.

Rodney moved to where John pointed, pulling down the flogger, running it through his hands a few times before nodding. "This would be nice."

"I'm thinking that would feel amazing. I want to paddle you first, get your ass red and warm. Then use this to caress it."

His sub trembled a little, nodding, his eyes open wide as he glanced up at John—desire and arousal and need mixing together on his face.

It made John laugh softly as he leaned in to kiss his sub. "Later. For now, what else catches your eye?"

It took nearly a minute for Rodney to shake off his feelings, before leading him back to the leather harnesses. He pulled out one—the one with the thickest and widest straps—but the leather was soft instead of hard as he expected. John could already feel it as it warmed to his lover's body, molding to him. It could be locked down as tightly as John needed and had several points of attachment.

"This would be for the times when we had a day or more to play. I'd put it on you, and leave it on. Or better yet, put it on under your uniform. All day long you'd feel it, and know that at any moment I could show up, lock you in place, and make you mine."

Rodney nodded. "It would hold me so tightly. Would work with the Ancient ring and the leather one…the one that ties up…" He blushed a little as he tried to describe it.

"Like you're wearing now." John reached between them to fondle his lover.

He nodded again, moaning as John's hands touched him, his eyes sliding shut.

Leaning in, John whispered in his lover's ear. "Mine."

The groan Rodney let out brought a broad smile to John's face—and every eye in the store on them.

He expertly massaged and flicked the very tip of Rodney's erection, working it until he could feel the drop of moisture it produced. His sub was whimpering and moaning, body trembling as he tried to stay still for John. And, he guessed, Rodney was trying not to let his knees buckle.

Spotting one of the large plugs Rodney had been eyeing earlier, John looked up and motioned to one of the clerks watching them, while not stopping his play. "Can you wrap these up and bill my room? Also, I want that plug, and if you could wash it for me, I'd like to use it now."

"Of course, sir," the clerk said, moving quickly and quietly to take the things from John's hand before retrieving the plug John had pointed to. "Will you need lube as well?"

"Yes, please. He's wearing a plug now, but this one is quite a bit larger. If you could put some on it after you clean it that will be fine. Rodney, turn around and put your hands against the wall. I want your ass on display."

Rodney wrenched open his eyes, trying to focus, to find the place where John wanted him. It took a minute for the connection to click, but then he was moving, bracing his arms against the only clear section of wall. He spread his legs a little wider than shoulder-width apart and leaned his forehead against his arms.

"Good boy." John purred, running his hand along his back down to Rodney's ass. He toyed with the plug already in for a moment, then, using the lube already on the toy, he very slowly worked a finger in alongside it.

His sub groaned, shifting on his feet. "John…please…"

"Mmmm. I'm going to stretch you, then I'm going to fuck you with the plug I just bought. Then I'm going to push it all the way in and leave it there so you'll be ready for me after I surf."

"But…your day…" he moaned, his body trembling.

"Is still in effect. Just because I gave you free access to my body today doesn't mean I can't play with yours, too."

"Supposed to be all you…"

Leaning in again, John whispered. "This brings me a great deal of pleasure, seeing you like this, knowing I did it to you."

Rodney groaned, the sound low in his chest.

"And later, when you play with me again, you'll feel this new plug. It will feel like I'm fucking you, even while you're playing with me, bringing me pleasure."

He whimpered, pushing back into John's hand.

Working a second finger in, John glanced over at the attendant, who was walking the new plug back over. He made a pleased noise.

"It's clean, sir. I'll bring the lube for you in a moment."

"Perfect." John pulled his fingers free and then tugged the current plug out, leaving Rodney empty.

"John…please…" Rodney whined, shifting back.

John took pity on him, and this time worked three fingers in, moving them in and out slowly.

His sub shuddered and trembled, moaning as John stretched him, relaxing as his top's finger's worked him thoroughly.

When the attendant returned a second time with lube, John didn't waste any time and he slicked up the huge plug. Pulling his fingers free again, he didn't leave Rodney waiting. Because it was so much bigger, he teased at his lover's entrance. "This is going to stretch you quite a bit. I want you to bear back, take it in at your own pace."

Rodney nodded, immediately shifting, groaning as the head of the plug breached the muscle. He panted heavily, his body beginning to tremble harder.

"That's it, good boy. Take it nice and slow, feel the way it stretches you. Later, when I'm inside you, it will feel almost loose by comparison. It will be a completely different sensation than what you're used to."

"Sir?" The clerk's voice was quiet.

"Hmmm?" John didn't take his eyes off Rodney.

"Can I make a suggestion?"

"I'll listen."

"Shift the plug side to side. Stretch him with it. It'll make it easier for him to take it."

Nodding, John did just that, shifting it a little from side to side, pulling it out a bit and letting Rodney take it back in again.

The third time he did that he noticed it slid in much easier, his sub relaxing his muscles. Rodney, though, was whimpering and trembling, sweat beading along his skin.

"Beautiful," John said quietly.

"He should be ready for more," the clerk said quietly.

He ignored the clerk, just holding the plug, letting Rodney feel it stretching him. "Mine."

"Just trying to help, sir. I'll be at the desk if you need anything."

"Thank you." John spared a moment to give the clerk a genuine smile. He didn't want him to think he had been snubbed, or that his earlier advice hadn't been appreciated. But then his attention went right back to Rodney.

His sub was panting and moaning, consonants and words long since vanished from Rodney's vocabulary.

"Push back, Rodney. Take it in. All of it."

He shook his head, whimpering and moaning.

"Talk to me. Is it too much for you?"

His lover whimpered again, shaking his head, panting heavily.

"So tell me what it is."

Rodney took a breath and then pushed back, his ass closing over the second nub as he moaned loudly, his knees almost buckling.

John held the plug still while he pressed kisses against Rodney's skin.

They were halfway there.

His sub was trembling continuously now, moaning quietly as he arched into John's kisses.

"Mine. For the rest of the day you'll feel this, know who you belong to. And you'll play with me, and I'll belong to you at the same time."

John began shifting the plug again, stretching Rodney with it. His free hand shifted around to his sub's chest where he started playing with his nipples, pulling much louder moans and whimpers from him.

Together they worked the plug in, until the base was flush with Rodney's ass. "So fucking beautiful..."

Rodney was barely upright, hanging on because of sheer stubborn determination and because John hadn't told him to move. He was so perfect.

"I love you." John leaned in, said it between kisses.

He shifted one hand down, clasping John's tightly, squeezing it.

They stood there, in the middle of the store, with John half wound around him, as much as possible. He was willing to stay here, to wait, until Rodney was ready to move again.

It took a while—nearly fifteen minutes—before Rodney shifted, before the death grip he had on his hand softened.

"Okay?" John continued to pepper all the skin he could reach with butterfly kisses.

"Okay…okay would not be the word to describe me right now," he whispered, his body still trembling.

"I can take it out if it's too much." John didn't want to hurt his sub. This was supposed to be a treat, not a punishment.

Rodney shook his head. "Not…not the problem."

"What is the problem? Talk to me, buddy. I want you to feel good, not be in pain."

His sub tugged on John's hand, bringing it down to his groin, gently letting John touch his engorged cock held tightly in check with the Ancient ring.

"Oh…wow..." John realized Rodney had to be hurting. "Can you talk it down, or do you need to come? Tell me the truth, not what you think I want to hear."

"Took….took me this long to form words," he whispered, whimpering as John's hand grazed the skin. "I want…want to wait."

Glancing up, John caught the eye of the clerk again. "Do you have a private room where we could sit down for a few minutes?"

"No, sir, I'm sorry. There is a chaise between the stores, however."

He nodded. "Can you have the rest of our things delivered to our rooms?"

"Of course, sir. I just need your room number and signature."

That didn't take him long, and then he turned his attention back to his sub. "Can you walk? Just a few feet, buddy, and then we can sit down."

"Don't know," he said quietly. "Will need help."

"Of course." John got a hand under his elbow. "Once we're sitting down, you can just curl into me, and I'll hold you until you feel all right."

Rodney snorted. "Feeling too 'all right' right now." He moved though—slowly and carefully— crossing the short distance with John's help. He was panting heavily again by the time they reached the chaise, his eyes squeezed tightly shut.

Sitting down, John swung his leg around so Rodney could settle against him. He wrapped his arms around his sub, hugging him. "Doing so good. I'm so proud of you for taking that."

"Wanted…wanted it…"

"I love you so much. You're so damn amazing." John pressed light kisses to skin again. "So very proud of you, Rodney."

"So…so hot…in the store…ordering…" Rodney trembled again, moaning quietly.

John pressed his smile into his sub's body. "It was very hot. And later, I'll do all the things I told you about. But right now, I want you to take deep breaths. The plug will stay in until I decide to fuck you later, but I still want you to touch me. My body is still yours to play with, but now when you do, it will feel like I'm touching you deep inside, too."

Rodney nodded, curling into John a little further, taking deep breaths as he tried to convince his body to relax.

John continued to murmur soothing noises into his sub's ear, petting him in ways designed to be more comforting than arousing.

It took a while—a long while—before John could feel the change in Rodney's body, feel some of the tension slowly draining out.

Harry's voice jolted him out of the light headspace he'd fallen into. "Rodney okay?"

Looking up, John smiled softly. "Yeah. He was just very, very turned on, and he's not allowed to come right now. He needed some time to talk himself down."

Harry had a beautiful leather collar on—a warm brown with intricate designs carved into it. He smiled, nodding. "Okay," he said with a nod. "I thought you were shopping."

Glancing over at Peter, John gave him an encouraging smile. "We were. We bought a few things I had sent to the room, and I had my new surfboard sent down to the beach hut so I can pick it up there. What about you guys? I love the collar; did you buy anything else?"

"A few things," Peter replied. "Sent them to the room because I didn't want to carry them. Did you want us to wait for you before we headed down to the beach?"

John nuzzled Rodney's shoulder. "You think you can get up and walk if we move slowly?"

"Can't we ride?"

"Ride?"

"Jumper."

Both of John's eyebrows went up. "We don't have those here."

"Be easier," he mumbled into John's chest.

"Yes, but that's not really an option at the moment."

"Why not?"

"Because we're not home, we're at a resort on vacation."

Rodney snorted. "Stupid, backwards Earth."

They were starting to skirt the line of what they could talk about, and John could see both Harry and Peter's eyes going wider the longer this went on. "Rodney..."

"Golf cart?"

With a sigh, John glanced over at his friends. "He's pretty deep in headspace at the moment. Would you mind seeing if they have a cart or something we could borrow? I'd rather not force him to walk if I don't have to."

"I'll go," Peter said, his silent communication with Harry telling him to stay with John. "Be right back."

"Thanks!" John shot him a grateful smile before looking back down at his sub. "Peter's going to see what he can find."

"Mmm," he nodded, snuffing into John's chest. He certainly seemed more relaxed…

He shot a rueful look over at Harry, who had gingerly sat down next to them. "Sorry. I wasn't really thinking when I decided to change plugs. I saw it in the store, and I knew he would like it."

"And did he?" Harry asked, eyes dropping down toward Rodney's ass and the large black plug currently residing there.

"A little too much." Chuckling, John kissed his lover absently on the side of his head. "It pushed him down into headspace again, and he couldn't walk he was so turned on."

Harry chuckled. "There is a quick resolution to that problem, you know."

"I know. I could let him come, and then he would feel better. But he wants to wait, and if he's willing to try, I want him to wait, too. It's hard now, but when I do allow him to come later, it will be that much more powerful."

"Hmm, yes, there is that," Harry said with a thoughtful smile. "We used to play with denial. Made for great sex."

"Truly. He enjoys it, and likes knowing he's given up even control over that to me. And I enjoy it because I'm a possessive top."

"That you are, Johnny, and it's a good thing. You seem…happy."

John's expression softened as he looked down at the purring man curled against him. "I don't even have the words to express how happy he makes me. I didn't realize what was missing in my life until I found him."

"Good. So if you do anything to hurt him, you know you'll have to deal with me, then. He's too good a man for you to do anything stupid—and don't you point that eyebrow at me, Johnny. I know you."

That startled a chuckle out of him. "I know. He's one of the best, and while I can't promise I won't be stupid, I will promise that it won't be intentional. I need him too much to lose him. I think I might need him more than he needs me, sometimes."

"Good." Harry nodded, seemingly pleased with John's answer. "Someone has to be able to keep you in line."

Grinning, he nodded. "I just needed a super-genius sub to whip me into shape."

Rodney shifted against him, mumbling something before stilling again.

"What was that, buddy?"

His sub licked his lips, angling his head up toward John's ear. "My ass looks nicer when it's red."

Laughing, John nodded. "It does. And later, we'll try out our new paddles, and then I'll whip you with our new flogger before I bury myself inside you."

Rodney purred loudly, his hand drifting across John's chest, thumb rubbing his nipple.

"What was that, Johnny?"

Sucking in a breath, John made another noise. God, even this relaxed Rodney knew just how to touch him.

"Oh for…" Harry huffed, his hand wrapping around Rodney's wrist, tugging it away from John's nipple.

Whimpering, John arched a little, trying to get the contact back.

"I thought we were trying to calm down."

The little touch had completely short-circuited John's brain. He sucked in a few breaths, shivering as desire spiked through him. "Hot... hot spot..."

"Your whole body is a hot spot, Johnny. I see Peter heading back here with a resort employee."

"Mmmm, nipples more than most. And he knows it." John shook his head, trying to clear it. "Knows I can come from that alone."

"As amazing as that thought is, Peter's coming back and I really don't want to piss him off again."

"Why would that piss him off?" John blinked again, taking a few more breaths. Without Rodney actually fondling him, he was coming back online.

"Not now, Johnny," Harry said quietly, releasing Rodney's wrist a few seconds before Peter stopped at the end of the chaise, a resort employee with him as Harry had said.

"John, Andrew said he'd be able to help you."

Forcing himself back up completely, John nodded. "Thanks. Hi, Andrew. My sub is just a little too turned on to be walking all the way to the beach, and I'm not ready for him to come yet. Any way we can get a ride to the cabanas?"

"Of course, sir," Andrew said with a smile. "I can have a cart here in the next few minutes if you'd like. Is there anything else I can do to assist you?"

"I don't think so. For now, that should be fine. I appreciate it."

"Very well. I am sending to you Christopher directly. He should arrive within the next ten minutes. Just instruct him on where you'd like to go. If you need additional assistance later, we can make other arrangements."

"Perfect. I plan to go surfing, so he'll be restrained on the beach. If I need help getting him back to our suite after that, I'll let you know."

"Of course, sir. Enjoy the rest of your stay," Andrew said with a small bow before heading off once again. Rodney's hand was slowly drifting back toward John's nipple, fingers light against his skin.

His breath hitched, but he focused on Peter. "Thanks. Did you buy a board, Peter, or did you just want to rent one?

Peter just shook his head. "I'll just relax on the beach."

Rodney's thumb grazed John's nipple again.

John bit back a moan. "I thought you were going to come out with me? I asked at the shop where I bought the board, and he said the waves were great today."

"I didn't say that." Peter's eyes narrowed and then shifted, looking out toward the courtyard, obviously looking for Christopher and the golf cart. "Do you just want to meet us?"

With a sigh, John forced himself to sit up a bit, the movement making Rodney's hand slip lower. "You don't have to, but you're more than welcome. If you want to head down and stake out a spot, feel free. We'll be along as soon as the cart gets here, and then I really do want to do a little surfing. You guys can either visit with Rodney if you want, or if you want to wander around, that's fine too."

"We'll wait for you," Harry said immediately. "We're in no rush, are we, Peter?"

Peter huffed, but didn't say anything. He did take Harry's hand, though, and John saw him squeeze it as he tugged his partner closer. Peter might not be all the way there yet, but John did give him kudos for the effort he was making.

Rodney picked that moment to shift in his arms, nipping at the skin along John's collarbone.

It surprised him, and he sucked in a breath. "R...Rodney..."

He purred, continuing to tease John's skin with his lips and teeth as his hands started to stroke along John's back.

"Mmmm, I...we're supposed to be…cooling you off... not... not ramping me up..."

"I don't think he's cooled off that much, Johnny."

"No...me neither...and now he's...trying to get me going too...and he...damn well knows how." John managed a breathy chuckle. "One of the benefits to...to dating a genius. He never...never forgets anything, including the spots that make me... make me short circuit..."

Rodney moaned and purred again, turning in John's arms so he was straddling his lap. His eyes were half-open and heavy with arousal. He leaned down capturing John's mouth with his own.

"Mmmmph..." John opened up, helpless to resist his lover's need.

"Oh for god's sake! Can't you keep your hands off each other for five minutes?" Peter exclaimed.

Breaking the kiss, John looked over lazily, his body melting. "If we have to, but we're on vacation. If it bothers you, though, I can make him stop."

Peter, though, was out in the courtyard, his hands on his hips, back turned to them. Harry was still sitting at their side, looking unhappily toward his lover.

"Why does it bother him, that we're enjoying each other?" John shifted them so he could wrap his arms around Rodney, stilling the other man's exploration for the moment. "We're not trying to piss him off, but we don't get the opportunity to be this openly affectionate very often. So when we do, we both take advantage of it."

Harry turned toward him, sighing quietly. "Honestly? I think he's a little jealous and a lot guilty."

"Huffing off to sulk isn't a good way to handle either of those. You should know, I offered to show him a few things, more hard-core things he could try with you since you've already done some stuff. I'd demonstrate on Rodney, and he could try them on you, follow along, so to speak."

Harry shook his head. "He won't agree to it. Too proud, too stubborn." He sighed again. "He'll get over it sooner or later after making everyone miserable. Oh look, here's the cart."

With a sigh, John looked down at his sub. "Come on, buddy. Ride's here."

Rodney, though, wasn't tracking. His fingers were still trying to find sensitive skin even though John was holding him securely. He was kissing patterns into John's chest, unable to reach John's nipples or the spot along his collarbone he'd been focused on.

"Mmmm, I know. We'll play later, I promise."

"Do you require some assistance, sir?"

John looked up, grinning a little at the attendant who had brought the cart. "Nah. I just have a very aroused sub in headspace. Enough to be hard to move, but not enough to blindly follow orders. He's kind of cute this way."

He smiled, nodding. "Very well, sir."

"Come on, buddy. Time to go for a ride." John sat up, forcing his lover to do the same.

Rodney groaned, his half-open eyes trying to focus on the body parts he wanted to touch. He tried; his right hand getting close to John's nipple before he grabbed his wrist.

"Ah ah. Later, I promise. I'll let you touch everything you want, for as long as you want when I get done with surfing."

"Please…" he begged, shifting in John's grip.

"Later. And after you play with me, I'll use our new toys on you until I get hard again, and then I'll be inside you."

"Please," he whined, licking his lips as he stared at John's left nipple.

Shivering, John could almost feel his sub's fingers and tongue on his body. He was wavering.

"John, are you coming?" Peter's voice was flat.

With a sigh, John nodded. "Yeah, we're coming." He forced himself to stand, holding out a hand to Rodney. "Come on."

Rodney looked…wrecked. He was still hard, but it didn't seem to be bothering him anymore. When he didn't grasp John's hand, he reached down, grabbing it himself and tugging his sub to his feet. He made sure he had both hands to stop any wandering fingers.

"One step at a time. I know you can do it. So proud of you, you're doing so good."

A few steps later and Rodney was panting again. It was like John could see him tumbling into headspace, watching as his sub let the sensations roll through his body, buffering him.

"Mmm, so beautiful. I love you so much." They made it to the cart, which wasn't far, and John helped him step up, holding him close.

Rodney curled into him immediately, hands stroking John's skin as Peter and Harry settled in as well.

"Where to, sirs?"

"The beach," John didn't look up from soothing his sub. "The cabanas, actually, and if you could put us near one of the unoccupied ones near the Beach Hut, that would be perfect."

"They were busy earlier, but we might be lucky now," Christopher said, the cart rolling a few inches before he pressed on the gas.

Rodney was licking and nibbling at the skin of John's neck, humming contentedly to himself even as he continued to pant a little.

The ride didn't take long, and soon they were on the beach. There weren't any issues as they claimed a cabana for themselves, with Harry and Peter taking one lounge, and John and Rodney taking the other.

As soon as Rodney's ass hit the lounge, he was tugging John down on top of him, trying to wrap himself around his dom.

Laughing softly, John twisted, so he was alongside Rodney, holding him close. He wasn't in any particular hurry, so he would wait to surf until Rodney was a little less in headspace.

"Rodney okay?" Harry asked a few minutes later as John continued to battle with his sub. Rodney was very determined this afternoon.

"He's okay, he just wants to play with me." John grinned at his friend. "When he gets like this, he's hard to stop."

Harry smiled back, shifting on his lounge chair. Peter was no where to be seen.

"Where'd Grumpy Bear go?"

Harry rolled his eyes, pointing down the beach. "To look at the boards. I doubt he'll actually rent one, though."

"He should. It would be nice to have company out there."

"If you want to leave Rodney with me, you can. I'll keep an eye on him."

"If you don't mind, I just might. Maybe Peter will be willing to talk now."

"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "Anything I need to know about…" He gestured toward the very determined man who was still trying to convince John to do something other than hold him.

"No. He'll settle down once I leave." John rolled them, and expertly grabbed at the straps connected to the chair, attaching them to Rodney's wrist cuffs.

As he tightened them down, Rodney moaned loudly, arching against John. He tugged at his hands and the shudder than rolled through his body…wow.

John had to swallow a few times. So fucking beautiful...

When he finally shifted to secure his sub's feet, Rodney sobbed at the loss of John's touch, tugging at the restraints as he tried to follow him.

"Shhhh, it's okay. You're okay. I'm right here, buddy."

John secured his ankles and then covered him again with his body, shushing and comforting him.

"Are you sure he'll be okay?"

Glancing over, John nodded. "Yes, he'll be fine in a few minutes. I won't leave until I'm sure of that."

"He really fell into headspace, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he's gone down pretty deep, and he did it very fast."

"Is that why he's fussing?"

"Partially." John smiled down at his sub. "He also wants me to make him stop."

"What do you mean?"

"He's not above manipulating me into forcing him into submission. He likes it when I get all dom on him."

"But how can he manipulate you when he's like that?" Harry asked, gesturing to Rodney who was squirming and moaning under John, his eyes tightly closed.

"Just by being this way." John traced a hand over Rodney's chest. "People always think it's the top who has all the power in this type of relationship. But they're wrong. The subs hold all the power, and they only loan it to us for a little while."

"But you decide everything."

"Only because he lets me. If he decided not to submit, there would be nothing I could do about it. I have power because he freely gives it to me. I only take as much as he's willing to let go of, and only for as long as he's willing to let me have it."

"But he doesn't hold anything back," Harry said, watching as Rodney arched into John's hands.

"I'm a very, very lucky man." Leaning in, John pressed a kiss to the center of his lover's chest.

Harry let their conversation lapse, simply watching them from the other side of the cabana.

John let himself fall into his own headspace a bit, touching his sub, caressing him. He needed to get Rodney to a place where he would be all right staying here with Harry for a bit.

He kissed him lightly, but Rodney surged upward as far as the restraints would allow, desperation and desire making it hard and wet and dirty.

"Shhhhh, it's okay. Just relax. I've got you."

It took a while for the desperation to subside, for Rodney to let John edge him down to where he'd be completely relaxed—even with his raging hard-on.

"So good, you're so good, Rodney." John continued to touch his sub and lover, relaxing him more and more.

As soon as John heard the change of his tone—a more contented purr—from Rodney, he knew he'd managed to get him where he wanted. He reached up, tightening down the straps a little further. He wanted to make sure he stayed like this for him.

Sitting up slowly, John ran a finger along the side of Rodney's face. "I'm going to leave you here with Harry for a little while, buddy. I'm going to do some surfing, but I won't be gone long."

Rodney opened his eyes—totally blown out eyes—and nodded, smiling lightly. He tried to shift, but the straps held him tightly and he moaned contentedly, his hands clenching and unclenching above his head.

Chuckling, John brushed his lips over Rodney's before looking back over at Harry. "He'll be fine now. He might not be much of a conversationalist, but then again he might be. He might come up enough to chat a bit once I'm gone."

"So should I even bother trying to talk to him?"

"Yes. He's listening, he's just too blissed out at the moment to care. He'll probably surprise you at what, and when, he decides to work up the energy to respond."

"So just talk." John could hear the disbelief in Harry's voice.

"Why not?"

"I generally don't talk just for the sake of hearing my own voice."

"You're not. You're talking to Rodney, he's just not being very vocal in response at the moment."

"You should probably find Peter before he gets to far away."

Nodding, John leaned down to kiss his sub one last time. "I'll be back in a bit. We shouldn't be too long, I just want to catch a few waves."

He unlocked the cuff on his wrist, leaving it next to his sub before he wandered over to the hut. He was glad to see Peter still there, examining the boards. John gave the clerk his name, and while he went to retrieve his new possession, John joined his friend. "See anything that interests you?"

Peter glanced to the side briefly before turning back to the boards. "I see you managed to pull yourself away."

"If you're expecting an apology for enjoying my lover on our vacation, you won't get one. I'm sorry it bothers you, but I'm not sorry I have him, or that we're in a place where I can indulge myself in showing it."

"I knew I wouldn't get one even if I did want it."

John shrugged. "If I thought I had done something wrong, I would apologize. But I didn't and we both know it. The vast majority of our lives, we have to hide that we're even together, much less that we have the sort of relationship we do. When I get a chance like this to throw all the rules out the window, I take it. You might not agree with my decisions—to join the military, or to have a dom/sub relationship—but I'd like to think that doesn't matter in the long run. You're the family I chose when mine threw me out."

"Did you want to talk or surf?"

"Surf. My board is ready, which one are you taking out?" The clerk had brought his new purchase out, and he admired it.

Peter made a face, a tight, pinched expression, but started talking to the clerk about the boards, finally picking one a few minutes later. It would take about fifteen minutes to get it prepped.

Since surfing in a Speedo and nothing else was just asking for disaster, John grabbed a pair of surf shorts off the rack and arranged to have them billed to his room. He needed a new pair anyway.

Peter grabbed a pair for himself as well, moving into the changing room when John stepped out. They were dancing around each other.

Finally, they were ready. They grabbed the boards and headed out, and John felt anticipation tingling along his spine. It had been too long since he had done this.

As Peter fastened the cuff on his ankle securing him to the board in case he wiped out, he glanced at John. "If I die doing this, Harry will kill you."

"Ditto for Rodney. But we aren't going to die. We're going to fly."

***


	3. Chapter 3

Rodney shifted on the lounge, feeling the cloth against his skin. The breeze brushed against his overly sensitive skin and he trembled.

The plug in his ass filled him completely, stretching him open so wide. It had been so hot…so amazing when John had ordered him against the wall, to put his ass on display. He'd known then—immediately—what John wanted and the sudden overwhelming desire and arousal had almost been too much.

But then John had fingered, him stretching him, and then the plug was there filling him, stretching his ass so wide.

It had been too much, but he'd wanted it, wanted it so badly he could taste it.

Time had stretched out, its passage quickly fading to the background as desire and arousal replaced it. It had felt that if he didn't have John's hands on him he'd simply explode.

At first he'd thought it had just been a dream—a really awesome, amazing dream. John had known what he needed, wanted even before he could ask. It was like he could read his mind.

But as he drifted now he knew better, knew his master had handled him, had sent him flying even higher than he'd ever been before.

He heard something now, the light chatter of someone talking. He shifted again, feeling the tug of his tightly secured limbs and he smiled, humming appreciatively. He was safe.

"John?" he whispered, turning his head as he shifted slightly again feeling the fullness of the plug in his ass, the tight grip of the ring around his cock. Perfect. So perfect.

"Ahh, he's surfing with Peter. They just got out there, if you'd like I can tilt the lounger so you can see them."

Rodney opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times to clear his eyes. Harry's concerned and worried face hovered into view a moment later.

"Hi, there. John said you would rouse a bit after he left. He said they'll be back soon, and he loves you."

"Mmm," he hummed, shifting again, loving the spike of arousal every time. He licked his lips. "Surfing?"

"Yes. Here..." The back of the lounge moved a bit, pulling his bonds slightly tighter, and making the plug move inside him, sending pleasure up his spine. "If you look, they're there, straight out from us."

He panted, eyes sliding shut as the sensations overwhelmed him again. Felt so good… He finally opened his eyes again when he felt a light touch on his arm.

"Are you okay? I can flag Johnny down and have him come back in if you need him."

"Good," he panted. "Really good."

"It's that good?" Harry sounded curious. "He put a plug in, right?"

Rodney nodded, moaning a little as he clenched his ass muscles, feeling the flare of pain and pleasure. "Really good."

"We used to use plugs, but I haven't worn one in ages." The other man sounded wistful.

"Do it…do it yourself," he said, breathing heavily.

"Hmmm, that hadn't occurred to me. Do you think, if I asked, they could bring one out here for me?"

He nodded. "Have…have anything…you want."

"Hmmm." A moment later, Rodney heard him chatting with someone quietly. "They're going to bring me a small selection."

"You don't…don't have…limitations…restrictions…" They weren't like him and John. Harry could do what he wanted. Vaguely Rodney knew he should feel jealous of Harry's freedom but he didn't. Not one bit.

Harry sighed. "I envy you, you know. Johnny is a good man, but more than that, you can see how much he cares for you. He's not afraid to show the world."

"He's…too…too willing sometimes."

"I can imagine, with his career choice. But as much as I wish he was doing something safer, he wouldn't have met you, and I imagine he wouldn't be the man he is today without that background."

Rodney licked his lips again, forcing his mind to concentrate a little more than it was. "He's John," he finally said. There was no other way to describe his lover.

Harry chuckled. "That he is, and ooo. Thank you. These are lovely. It's been a while since I've been stretched by anything, so I think I'll go with this one. It looks smooth and not too large."

Rodney watched as Harry picked up one of the plugs, examining it carefully. The attendant retreated a few beats later after pointing to the small side table where the lube was restocked throughout the day.

Harry dug out one of the disposable tube, and looked at it. "Should I just put it in here? I mean, no one would look at me funny? I don't want to leave you here, all tied up, so to speak, just to go put it in."

"Doesn't bother me," he said quietly.

"Yes, but you're helpless. I know you and John don't think anything of it, but I would just never forgive myself if something happened to you. Hmm, this should work." Harry pulled the cover up so it was shielding them from the sun, and from any eyes not looking from directly in front of the cabana. He tuned on his side so he was facing Rodney, a look of concentration on his face as he worked it in. Then a blissful sigh. "Oh, that's just nice."

"Mmm," Rodney said with a knowing smile. "Squeeze."

"Oh yes." Harry relaxed into the lounge, going a bit boneless. "That is very nice, isn't it? Ahhh."

Rodney chuckled lightly, his eyes drifting toward the water where he could watch John and Peter surfing—and wiping out.

By the time the two figures had been out for a while, Harry was purring quietly next to him, and Rodney was totally relaxed.

"Good?"

"Mmmm, oh yes."

"Should…should take the time to enjoy yourself."

"Mmmm hmmm."

Rodney could see John and Peter now moving toward them, both of them looking relaxed.

He smiled, shifting again on the lounge, moaning as his body flared to life again.

"That's a sound I like to hear." John. Happy and relaxed and lips pressing against Rodney's briefly while cool, damp hands ran over his heated body.

He moaned again, arching into his lover's hands as much as the bonds would allow.

"Hmmm. You guys have a nice chat? I haven't seen Harry this relaxed in a while."

"Plug," he whispered, opening his eyes to look at his top.

"Harry?" His lover glanced over. "Wow, good look for him."

"Wanted…wanted to feel…feel good."

"I wonder how Peter will feel about that." John had dropped his voice, was nibbling little bites along Rodney's collarbone as he talked.

Every touch, every bite drove him higher and higher. "Wanted…wanted it."

"Good for him. How is your plug? Can you feel it, are you imagining it's me, filling you, claiming you?"

Rodney moaned and nodded, clenching down on it as his hands clenched above his head. "So good…so full."

"I'm going to leave it in while I paddle you later, so you'll feel it, shifting inside you with every stroke."

"Please," he panted, tugging at the restraints holding him in place.

John's chuckle was dirty. "I like you like this. Aroused and begging and beautiful."

He struggled to get closer to John, his top only smiling and shifting out of range, just out of range. Rodney groaned in frustration. "Please."

"Please what?"

"Want…want you…please."

"I'm right here." John's hand skimmed along his side.

He moaned, his body trembling from the light touch. So good and too much all at the same time, but he just wanted more. He felt so alive.

"Peter, how is Harry doing over there?"

"He put a plug in." Peter didn't sound too thrilled about it either. "What did Rodney tell him to do?"

"Rodney just said he wanted to feel good."

"And this is what he tells him to do?"

"Peter, Rodney is in headspace. He wouldn't have told Harry to do anything. At most, he would have encouraged him."

Rodney arched into John's hands, licking his lips. His top was close, but so far away.

Chuckling, John's fingers moved to his nipples, rolling one absently.

He groaned loudly, his body trembling as arousal ripped through his body. Too much. So good. Pain and pleasure warred within and he wanted more.

"Shhhh. It's okay. I'll take you back and take care of you soon."

Rodney nodded, closing his eyes and letting the sensations carry him, blinding him to anything except the feel of his top's hands on his body.

Before he knew it, Rodney felt the straps holding him down loosen, and the leash was hooked back on. From the tug, John had put the cuff back on now that he was dry.

He purred. He was connected to his top again.

"Walk behind me. We're going back to the suite, and I'll take care of you."

Rodney nodded, letting John guide him to his feet. He moaned as the plug shifted inside of him, reminding him of how large it was, of how easy it would be for John to slide in when they got back to the room.

John's hands were cool against his heated skin, calming him before they started to move. With each and every step his arousal grew again, sending him higher and higher where only sensation mattered.

***

Various sex toys and bondage equipment were dropped carelessly on the bed, as John pulled his sub close. Rodney had passed out again, and it made John feel a powerful toppish pleasure knowing he had done that.

When they had gotten back to the suite from the beach, John had played hard with his sub, driving him to the very edge before he had pulled the plug out and fucked him. John's body still tingled with the aftershock of orgasm when he had finally allowed them both to come.

A-fucking-mazing.

Rodney shifted in his arms and moaned quietly as he came back from the edge of pleasure.

John pressed a smile into his lover's shoulder. "Take your time coming back, we're not in any hurry."

Rodney shifted again, tightening his arms around John. The sound that came from him now was very content. Good.

Peter was making progress, but John had worried his irritation at finding Harry wearing a plug would spill over to his sub. It was why he had made the decision to leave, before someone said something they didn't mean.

And given Peter's roller-coaster attitude that was a strong possibility. John really didn't want to argue or fight with his friends. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but this time with Rodney was special and he didn't want to waste it. Rodney deserved every single minute of their vacation.

John absently ran his hand over his lover's body as his mind drifted, petting him, taking as much comfort from the simply touch as he was giving.

Rodney hummed—the sound comfortable, content—shifting his hip in a silent command of 'yes, touch me right there' was heard loud and clear.

It made John smile, and he followed the curve of Rodney's body, letting his fingers trace complex, random patterns.

His lover's lips and tongue glided across John's shoulder, the touches light.

"Mmmmm."

Rodney chuckled softly, his hands beginning to move as well—along his back, his sides, his neck.

With a happy sigh, John shifted his body to give Rodney access to everything he wanted. This was Rodney's day after all, he was allowed.

"Keep touching me?" Rodney whispered quietly, his hands never stilling.

"Always."

"Now?"

Laughing gently, John started up again, following the same path as before.

Rodney hummed appreciatively as he turned back to his own exploration of John's body with mouth and hands. He moved slowly, shifting his body as little as possible. It was like he wanted to make sure he had as much contact as humanly possible at all times.

It was fine with John. The earlier orgasm had been powerful, and there was no way he was going to get it up, much less come, again soon. But just touching and being touched... they didn't get to do this nearly as often as he wished they could.

Rodney touched him everywhere. The minutes quickly added up until an hour had passed. His sub finally shifted, his hands stilling as he snuggled in closer to John with a contented sigh and smile.

John was feeling more than a little mushy himself, so he just made a happy noise and pulled Rodney in, trying to get just a little bit more skin touching.

The soft, regular puffs of air began a few moments later, his lover's body relaxing in slumber. John couldn't help but chuckle to himself over the fact that he'd worn him out.

This was a very decadent way to spend an afternoon. Stretching, John closed his eyes and let himself drift. He didn't know how long he had been out when something woke him again.

The sound of a thump in the outer room.

Sitting up, all of John's instincts kicked in. Ignoring the fact that he was naked, he slipped slowly, quietly out of bed, glad Rodney didn't seem to have woken up. Carefully, he picked up a spreader bar they had used earlier, wielding it as a club as he soundlessly made his way to the bedroom door.

There was another thump and the sound of papers falling.

As he moved into the main room, he continued to move slowly, scanning the area for the person or persons who had invaded. He wished he had a zat.

The sun was setting, plunging the room into semi-darkness, making it hard to see, to make out what he thought was a person. A small-ish person whose quiet cursing John recognized. Harry.

Straightening, John blinked. "What the hell are you doing?"

Harry's head popped up immediately as he jumped, turning toward John. "Looking…looking for something."

"Wanna tell me what?" John leaned against the wall, legs crossed, the bar he had planned to use to bludgeon the intruder in plain sight.

"I…ah…didn't mean to wake you," he said, eyes drifting down John's naked body, to the bar, and then back up again. "You were sleeping. Didn't think you'd mind."

"You nearly got yourself brained, if I hadn't heard you curse. I'm trained to wake up when something is amiss, Harry. And you're avoiding the question. What are you looking for?"

"Some papers I thought I had with me this morning."

Pushing off from the wall, John moved closer. "Do you really think lying to me is a good plan? Where's Peter?"

"At the cabin."

"And let me guess, he doesn't know you're here." John narrowed his eyes. "Stop stalling and tell me what the hell is going on."

Harry straightened up, lifting his chin the same way Rodney did when he was getting defensive about something. "He knows I'm here."

With a sigh, John rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I'm not accusing you of anything, Harry. I just want to know what the hell you're doing in my suite, rooting around in our stuff without the lights on."

"Looking for something I left here earlier."

"All right, fine, tell me what it is and I'll help you look for it, then."

"It's…a paper."

"Yes, I got that." John set his bar aside. "But there are a lot of papers here. What's on it?"

"Writing." Harry had turned and was paging through the sheets of paper on the desk in the kitchen area.

"Harry, I love you like a brother, but if you can't get more specific than that, I'm going to have to kick you out until later."

"I'll find it and leave. Don't mind me."

"Not gonna happen."

"You left the door open. Anyone could have walked in."

"What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?"

Harry made a soft noise, pulling out a single piece of paper. He folded it several times before shoving it in a pocket. "All done," he said, turning to John with a half-smile. The collar Peter had bought him was no longer around his neck. "I'll head back now. Sorry to have woken you."

John stepped closer, expertly getting a hold on Harry's shoulder and using his other hand to take the sheet of paper from his pocket. "Okay, since that was with papers that I know for a fact you didn't bring in with you this morning, I think I at least have a right to know what the hell it is you're taking."

"Something I brought with me this morning. Your cleaning people put it with all the other papers you had floating about in the cottage."

"Nice try, but you're forgetting how well I've been trained, my friend. I'm a hell of a lot more observant than you're giving me credit for."

"Are you calling me a liar?" Harry asked, the shoulder under John's hand stiffening. He tried to move away, but John tightened his hand, not letting him.

"No, I'm worried about you, since it's not like you to break into my room to try and take something, even if you had left it behind by accident. What's really going on here, Harry?"

"I'm fine. I came back to get something. You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you—which is a moot point now since you're here arguing with me."

John closed his eyes and counted to five. "Fine, you know what, whatever. If you don't want to talk to me, you don't have to. Here. Take it." John thrust the sheet of paper at the other man and let him go. He was tired of playing games.

For a brief moment, John though the other man was going to stay, to finally tell him what this was all about. Instead, Harry stood there stock still for a long moment, his eyes wide and fixed on John. He shook himself a few beats later and then turned, quietly padding out of their cabin on bare feet.

Sitting down into the couch, John lowered his head into his hands. This was supposed to be a vacation, but instead he seemed to be losing his two closest friends one chunk at a time. It was almost enough to make him want to cry.

He sat there for a several minutes, trying to pull his thoughts and emotions back together. The cabin was silent around him, his lover still sleeping in the other room. He could hear the crash of the ocean waves, the sound of the wind through the trees. The sun was setting, turning the sky a brilliant array of colors.

Making up his mind, he rose, padding back into the bedroom. He grabbed his jeans, and moved to the bed, shaking Rodney awake. "Hey there, sorry to wake you. I caught Harry sneaking around, and he left angry, so I'm going to go after him and find out what's really going on. I didn't want you to wake up and find me gone without telling you."

Rodney opened his eyes and stretched, blinking a few times up at John. "Want company?"

"If you'd like to come, yes. But I have no idea if this will get bad or not. If you want to stay here and sleep you're more than welcome to do that too. I won't force this on you."

"How long do you think you'll be?"

"I have no idea. It will probably depend on what he was really doing here."

Rodney shifted again on the bed, hissing quietly before stilling. "Staying here might be good."

Leaning over, John kissed him once, deeply, putting all of his love into it. "I'll keep it as short as I can."

"Take whatever time you need. Leave me a snack?"

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you, too. Go easy on them, John."

Snorting, John wasn't sure he had the patience to go easy anymore. After bringing in something for his sub to eat and drink, John turned his steps outside, striding down the path to his friends' cabin.

Part of him wanted to throttle the two of them. The other part just wanted to ignore the whole thing.

When he got to the cabin, he let himself in since it wasn't locked. "Harry?"

"He isn't here," Peter said quietly. The television was on and he was flipping through the channels. "Said he was headed to your cabin to get something."

"Son of a bitch." John growled it and started to turn. He was going to throttle the man when he found him.

"John?" Peter had shifted in the chair. "What's going on?"

"He took something from my room and wouldn't tell me what it was. I know damn well it wasn't anything he brought in with him, and he nearly got himself brained before I realized the person invading my room while I was sleeping and poking around in the dark was Harry. I'm going to find him and find out what the hell is going on, and then, as much as I love you two like family, I'm of half a mind to lock you in a room together until you sort out whatever the hell is going on between you."

"It's none of your business, John," Peter said stiffly, settling back in the chair.

"Whether you like it or not, breaking and entering has made it my business. I'm going to go find Harry."

"He's a grown man—as he's told me several times today. Leave him alone."

"So you're not at all worried about where he's wandered off to? Fucking hell, the two of you are going to drive me insane."

"What do you want me to tell you?" Peter asked, rising to his feet. "We're fighting and I'm sorry to have dragged you into it. We shouldn't have come in the first place. Maybe then he wouldn't hate the sight of me. He's a grown man. He can do whatever he wants."

"He doesn't hate you, Peter. He just hates that you aren't willing to be flexible, and instead of listening to people, you're automatically getting furious and either barging away or yelling."

"That's not what he said."

"Because he's getting fed up trying to explain it to you, because every time he does you dismiss him. Which is why I'm worried about what the hell he took from my room. He evaded my questions about what he was there for, and now he's disappeared."

"He said he left something there," Peter said with a shrug. "I wasn't going to argue with him about it. He won't go far."

"Whatever. He didn't leave anything in our cabin, and he was going through the papers that were in the living room desk. I haven't looked at them, so I have no idea what was in there."

Peter shrugged. "Junk. I threw them out the minute we got here."

"Obviously something in there caught his eye if he had to come get it from my room. What were they?"

"Junk. Advertisements for the shops and various services. I didn't pay much attention to it."

"I'm going to see if I can track him down. The front desk should be able to give me a copy of them, and maybe I can figure out which one he took."

"Why are you so…worried about it? Harry is very capable of taking care of himself."

John shook his head. "Because of the way he was acting when I caught him. Like he was doing something wrong. It set off quite a few red flags."

Peter sighed, running a hand over his face before waving it at John. "Do whatever you want. I should get some sleep before I head to the airport."

That snapped John's head around. "You're leaving without him? What the hell happened between you two this afternoon?"

"We fought. What do you think happened? We both agreed a little time apart right now would be better in the long run. Marco called and there are some issues with the club, so I'm heading home. Harry wanted to stay. I'm not going to tell him no."

John gave his friend a careful look. "You do realize that if you leave, you'll probably lose him for good, right?"

"He told me to go."

"It doesn't matter. He's pushing you, yes, but if you leave, you'll only prove, in his mind, that the club is more important to you than your relationship with him. If you leave, you'll never get him back."

"Nothing I do is helping. I've tried to do what he wanted and he's still not happy. We're just fighting more."

John eyed the other man. "Are you willing to listen to some candid advice without taking offense or getting pissed off at me?"

"I'll listen, but I reserve the right to be pissed off or take offense for later."

Rolling his eyes, John decided to just be candid. "Fine. Nothing you do is helping because you aren't really doing anything. You're all talk, Peter. You say you want to keep him, but you're fighting him on everything he wants to try, and now you're running away again, which is what caused the problems in the first place. Hardcore BDSM might not be something you're crazy about, but it's obviously something Harry wants to try, and it's just one example of you dismissing what he wants, to him. If you aren't willing to unbend and be a little more reckless and willing to try new things here, why should he believe any other part of your life will be different?"

"I bought him a collar," he said, his hand gesturing vaguely outside.

John sighed. "It's not about throwing money at a problem, Peter. That won't solve anything. It's a mindset. He wants to roleplay, to lose himself in you for a little while. He wants to try something new and different, not just have you buy him things."

"And there are some things I'm not comfortable with."

"Which is fine, but just dismissing what he wants out of hand, instead of sitting down and telling him what you are willing to try isn't really a good way to approach it."

"We've talked. He refuses to listen."

"You're both guilty of that." John shook his head. "You're both stubborn bastards. You obviously still love each other a great deal, but you're both letting everything else come between you, and you're going to lose him if you're not careful."

Peter sighed, looking away from John. "Don't you think I know that? Nothing I do helps. Nothing. He's never happy anymore. Neither of us are. Part of me wishes it was something easy, that one of us was cheating. Then we'd have something to deal with. This…this is just messy."

"So come help me find him, and we'll deal with the rest after that."

Peter chuckled bitterly. "The last thing he wants is to see me. Trust me on that."

"I'm not going to give him a choice." John pushed off from the wall he had been leaning against. "It's up to you though. I'm going to find him. You can come with me, and we can try to fix this thing between you, or you can run away and lose him for good. I can't guarantee it will get better, but do you really want to give up before you've exhausted every option?"

"He told me to go home, John. He obviously doesn't want to fix this right now."

"Take it from someone who lost his partner and had to fight to get him back, especially since Harry has at least some sub in him from what I've seen. He's pushing you. He doesn't really want you to go; he wants you to force him to listen to you. Whether you like it or not, whether it's something you do again or not, you're going to have to think like a top taking control of your wayward sub if you want to keep him. You're going to have to go a little outside of your comfort zone if you want to hold on to him."

Peter sighed again. "So what do you want me to do? I can't fight with him anymore."

"I'm not asking you to fight. I'm asking you to go in and not allow him to talk back. You set the rules, and if he doesn't obey you tie him down and leave him there until he agrees to listen. And then you reward him for good behavior—listening—and punish him for bad—arguing with you."

"I can't do that."

"Yes, you can. If you want help I'll stay and show you how, but you can do it. The only thing stopping you is fear."

"Fear's not the issue. I know he'll hate me if I do that."

"No, he won't." John tried not to sigh, but it was hard. It was like talking to a brick wall. He ran his hands through his hair, knowing it was standing up even more than usual. "He's pushing you because he wants to force you to do it. Oh, he'll scream and yell right at first, but that's because he's trying to see if you'll break. Trust me, do it, stand firm and don't back down. I think you'll be surprised at the results."

"And if I don't, will you?" Peter asked tentatively, looking for a way out.

"No," John said, shaking his head. "He's not my sub, and I already have one that takes up all of my attention. But given where we are, I'm willing to bet if you don't do it, someone else will, and neither of you will like the results of that."

"Harry wouldn't do that."

"Maybe, maybe not. Is that a risk you're willing to take? If I didn't know him, I would have pegged him as an out-of-control sub desperate for a top to take him in hand. And when a sub gets pushed to that point, he or she doesn't usually care anymore who that top is."

"I know him, John. I've lived with him for close to twenty years."

"And I think that's part of what's clouding the issue for you. You can't see it because it's probably happened over a long period of time."

Peter sighed again. "So, what do you want me to do? Obviously you have all the answers." His tone was bitter.

Snorting again, John nodded at the door. "Let's go find him first, and then take it from there. I don't have all the answers, but I do know how to handle subs. I can teach you enough of what you need to know to get you through right now, but it will be up to you to figure out what needs to stay in your relationship and how you'll incorporate it."

It took a minute before Peter finally nodded, gesturing for John to lead the way.

They made their way to the front desk, where they were given a stack of flyers. John flipped through them discarding most as probably not what Harry had been after.

Vaguely he remembered the paper Harry'd shoved in his pocket had been a light color—either white or yellow. There were four of them—two of them in the 'no chance in hell' pile.

He pulled out all four, and showed them to the clerk. "Are any of these going on right now?"

The clerk took them from John's hand and flipped through the pages. "Oh, of course, sir. This one is scheduled for tonight. It started about fifteen minutes ago," he said handing one from the 'hell no' pile to John. "The rest are scheduled for the next two days."

Fingering it, John handed it over to Peter. "You know if this is where he's at, you're going to have to go in and be a top if you want to get him out."

"He wouldn't," Peter said, his voice slightly strangled as he glanced up at John, the paper limp in his hands.

"I don't know." John sighed, hating the look on Peter's face. But if Harry was there, then it would make everything John had read about him, as a sub, correct. "We have to go look, and if he is there, you need to decide now how you want to handle it."

"He…he wouldn't do this, wouldn't go and…"

"He would if you think of him as a sub trying to goad his top into punishing him, taking him in hand. He's getting more combative, more stubborn, because on some level he wants you to take control and take away his choice."

"But I don't want to take away his choice! I want him to be with me because he wants to, not because I force him to."

John shook his head. "You're mixing up desire to be with someone and BDSM, Peter. He is with you by choice. What he's looking for is the comfort of knowing someone will keep him in hand. I'm willing to bet that in the early years of your relationship, you were a lot firmer about what went on in your lives. But as the club has taken up more time, he's been left more and more to his own devices. This might be a bit extreme, but you were treating him like a mild sub in the beginning, and everything he's done so far, to me, is crying out that he misses it."

"I never forced him, John. You have to believe me."

"I do believe you. Do you think I force Rodney to stay with me? To be my partner? We're a lot more into bondage than you guys ever were, but it's essentially the same thing."

Peter shook his head, his mouth a thin, tight line. He moved off a few steps, crushing the paper in his hand as he closed his fist. The clerk was carefully not paying attention—or at least trying not to.

John followed him. "Peter, think of it more as being the dominant partner than a 'top'. You were more dominant back then simply because that's how you are. It's not forcing, and it's an exchange that both parties have to be okay with for it to work. Considering how happy you were, and how long you've been together, it was working just fine. It wasn't until outside circumstances forced your attention away that he started to go this route."

"So it's my fault."

"No, I didn't say that. No matter how he feels, this isn't the way to go about getting your attention again. It's dangerous, and it just drives you both apart further if he goes through with it. To be honest, I really don't care about assigning fault or blame. What I really want to know is what you're going to do about it now. Are you going to get him back, or are you going to walk away?"

"If he's doing this, it's obvious he doesn't want anything to do with me." Peter shoved the crumbled paper in John's face.

"You're wrong, you know. All the advice you gave me, back when Rodney and I were still new, it all applies to you now."

"It's different."

"No, it's not. You have to be the strong one, just like I do for Rodney. Harry needs you, needs to know that no matter how much he misbehaves or goes astray, you'll still love him and be there to take him in hand."

Peter scowled, moving away again, but John followed, knowing Peter was wavering. "So if it was Rodney doing this…"

"I would be angry, and hurt. But I would walk in, put my collar and leash on him, take him home, and punish him. I have punished him for going too far before. Not in this way precisely, but lets just say he went through a very rebellious period. And at the end, it was that he knew, no matter how evil he was to me, that I wasn't going anywhere, that finally got through to him."

"Rodney wouldn't do that."

"Be a vindictive bastard? Sure he would. You've only ever seen him when I've had him down a bit as a sub. Don't forget he has multiple PhDs, he's one of the most brilliant scientists on the planet, and he's the chief science officer of our base. In a professional capacity, we're equals, and I don't mess with him or his position in the labs. He's not universally loved because he's blunt, sarcastic, a hypochondriac, and I love him for his faults as much as anything else."

Peter waved John off. "No. I was talking about this," he said, waving the paper in John's face. "He wouldn't do something like this that would make you punish him for anything."

"Of course he would. He challenges me all the time to see if I'll punish him for it. I made him wear a cage once and wouldn't let him take it off or let him come until he acknowledged he was wrong and submitted to me. It took him almost a week of being pissed off at me before he finally submitted."

Peter looked at John oddly. "I thought he liked the cage. That's not exactly punishment."

"It is when he knows it stays on until he does what I want him to. He couldn't touch himself, couldn't come, couldn't even get hard. And every time he moved, it was a reminder of my position, and what I wanted from him, which was to submit instead of fighting me."

"Isolated incident and one that happened early on I imagine."

"No to both. He continues to test me all the time, sometimes more than others. Usually when I've let him get away with too much, he starts to push back a lot more. It's when he knows I'm on top of it that he's most comfortable and relaxed, because he knows I'll take care of him."

Peter was quiet for a long moment, eyes drifting down to the crumpled flyer in his hand. "So, what now?"

"Now you decide if he's worth fighting for, even if it means stepping outside of your comfort zone. It means going there, not giving him a choice, and taking him home. You can bring him back to my cabin if you want to start on more or less neutral ground, but if it were me and my sub, he would get tied down, gagged, and forced to listen. I would spell out very specific consequences for both disobeying and obeying, and then I'd follow through based on his choice."

Peter's eyes widened at John's words, his hands tightening into fists. His weary nod was all the answer John really needed. "I don't want to lose him. He's all I have."

"Then come with me, and I'll help you get him. This time we'll make sure he doesn't think to do something this stupid again."

After finding out exactly where the "event" was taking place tonight, John led the way through the winding paths to the remote building. He hoped Harry wasn't here, that he was back at the cabin, but somehow he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. When a BDSM resort offers a "top for the night" for single subs—or those interested in becoming a submissive—it had to be safe, but it still gave John a bad feeling. This wasn't going to be over tonight, but maybe it was enough to start them actually listening to each other.

They slipped in, and with a sigh John saw Harry lurking in the back. It didn't look like he had done anything yet, or gone with anyone, but just the fact that he was here proved everything John had been saying to Peter.

He tapped Peter's arm and focused his friend's attention on his partner in the far corner, shoving him forward.

"Here isn't the place to allow him to make a scene. Don't give him options. Go over, take his hand, and lead him out. If he starts to protest, tell him he says another word and he gets gagged."

"But I don't have anything to back it up and Harry knows that."

"You're bringing him to my cabin for now, and he knows I DO have the stuff to back up your threats. And you can tell him that."

"It's going to be a scene."

"Don't let it. You have the power here, just remember that. He might fight you, but he's doing it because he wants you to take control. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here. If he protests too much, you can just tell him he was looking for a top, and now he has one. After that, don't respond to anything until you get him back to the room."

"Just drag him out kicking and screaming."

"Basically." John shrugged. "He won't, though. At least not kicking. If you want, I can bring him out and hand him over to you, but I think you doing it yourself will send a firmer message that you've had enough of his rebellion, and now you're cutting off the freedoms he's been given until he earns them back again."

Peter, of course, took the easy way out. "You do it."

Rolling his eyes, John didn't feel like arguing, especially since they were getting ready to start. Harry looked nervous and a little sick, but John didn't know if he would really go through with it, and he wanted to head this off. "Fine, but you're coming with me. You're going to learn. To be honest I don't think he wants to be the kind of sub that Rodney is, but since he's here to get a taste of being topped, I'm damn well going to give it to him."

"No. I'll wait here. Less of a crowd and a scene."

"Not an option." John took him by the hand and basically dragged him in, using Peter's surprise to his own advantage. Seriously, he was getting tired of this. Fortunately, Harry wasn't far from the door, so by the time Peter had recovered, they were already there. "You want to be topped, Harry? You should have just told me. Come with me. We're all going back to my room and we're having this out once and for all."

Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise, but he found his voice quick enough. "This really isn't the time for this conversation."

"No, it's not. So you're not going to talk, you're going to walk." John narrowed his eyes. "You can both damn well forget the word 'no' was ever in your respective vocabularies. I've tried doing this the easy way, and you're both being too dense for that, so now we're doing it the hard way."

"No," Harry said, enunciating the word. "And you're disrupting the event."

Narrowing his eyes, John spotted one of the staff who he had met a few times before. He knew the other man knew John was a top, so this shouldn't be an issue. He waved him over, then looked Harry straight in the eye. "This sub belongs to my friend Peter, and he's rebelling. I don't really want to disturb your event, but he needs to be taken and punished. Do you have a gag, training collar, and leash I can borrow for the night?"

"Of course, sir. We have a fully stocked closet because of tonight's event."

"Perfect. This is Peter, and he's not a very good top yet, but he's still new to it, and I'm teaching him, but his sub, who has been his life partner for quite a few years now, has chosen tonight to decide he wants to do more than play at being topped. I'm going to teach them both what it means to be a submissive and a dominant. If you could bring him to the closet to get those items, I'd appreciate it."

"Certainly, sir," he said, taking Peter by the upper arm and guiding him toward the closet near the front of the room.

Harry was sputtering at John's side. "You…you can't do this. I'm not going to let you."

"Yes, you are. By coming here, you declared yourself a sub, which means I have every right, and there isn't a top in this room who won't back me on it. You are not a single sub, and while Peter hasn't been much of a dom either, I'm tired of the way you're both dancing around this and I'm doing something about it. Now, you can submit and come quietly, or when they get back, I will gag and collar you for the walk back."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Peter won't let you."

"Yes, actually, he will, because he's going to be learning how to get you back under control. I'm only getting things started, and I'll be guiding him, but he's the one you'll be submitting to, not me."

"I've lived with him, John. I know him. He won't go along with this," Harry said as John saw Peter and the resort top heading to them with several items in their hands. It looked like the top had picked out exactly what John asked for and added a set of wrist cuffs with locks as well.

"Perfect. All right, Harry, it's up to you. You can come quietly, or you can try and protest and I'll take away your options. Choose now. Rodney is waiting back in the suite, and I'm ready to get back to him."

Harry crossed his hands over his chest and straightened up—much like Rodney did when he was defensive about something. "What I'd like is for you to leave right now so I can get on with what I was doing."

Without looking away from Harry, John held a hand back. "Peter, would you mind handing me the cuffs and lock?"

Harry started moving, shifting away from John the minute the words were out of his mouth, but the resort top moved in immediately, blocking his exit. He tried to slip away, but the top caught him, holding him securely, easily.

"You seem to be under the impression that you have a choice here, Harry. You don't. You came here looking for a top, which means the minute you walked in the door, you gave up all rights to choose. You wanted to know how a real top would be; well, now you're going to find out." John was over this. Peter silently handed him the cuffs, and John moved in. With the resort top's help, he easily cuffed his friend and locked his hands behind his back.

"I have the right to change my mind," Harry said, struggling in the top's hands. "Peter, you can stop this, stop John from doing this."

John ignored him. "Peter, could you hand me the gag. He was told to stop talking, and he seems to be having an issue with obeying that order."

His friend looked a little shell-shocked, but did as John requested. Harry was still struggling, but the resort top had no problem keeping him in place.

Stepping in, John expertly slipped the gag on, and fastened it in the back.

The last thing he took from Peter was the collar, which was also locked on, along with the leash. John took the end of the leash and wrapped it around Peter's wrist before closing the man's fingers almost gently around the end. "He's your sub. You're going to bring him back to my suite, where I'm going to teach you how to take care of him. Don't waver, and don't allow him to sidetrack you. He doesn't want you to give in. He wants to know he can fight and misbehave and you'll still be standing there, rock steady, backing up your ultimatums."

Peter glanced up from the leather wrapped around his wrist, his face pinched and tight. "Just drag him there?"

"If necessary. But first you're going to order him to follow you. It's his choice if he chooses to fight or not. He IS going to the suite, and you're NOT taking no for an answer. You are the dominant. He is the submissive. When you give him an order in that capacity, he either obeys or suffers the punishment for it."

Harry howled something behind the gag, struggling again in the resort top's hold. Peter nodded slowly, holding John's gaze. "You'll help get him there, right?"

"Of course." John smiled at his friend. "I'm not going to abandon you, Peter. I know this is way outside of your comfort zone. But I also know how much you guys love each other, and in the long run, given the way Harry is behaving, I really do think this is necessary. I'll be there to help get you through this little episode, and I'll teach you anything you think you want to know about to use in the future. I really don't think Harry wants to be the kind of sub Rodney is, going that deep. But I do think he needs the discipline of knowing you're the dominant partner, and if he goes too far out of line, you have the knowledge and tools to bring him back."

Peter nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Do you need my assistance any further, sir?" the top asked quietly, hands still wrapped around Harry's upper arms.

John looked back over at Harry, whose eyes were wide. "Peter, give him the order, and give him the option of obeying or not. Tell him what will happen if he chooses to disobey, which is that he'll be dragged through the resort by me and this fine gentleman back home."

"He's light enough to carry if needed," the top said with a small smile.

John shared a brief smile with the other man. He was pretty sure this wasn't the first time he had had to help deal with an unruly sub. To be honest, John was glad this had come to a head here. At least he was here to help Peter through it, and they had a lot of resources to draw from.

Peter stepped closer, the fingers of his free hand drifting across Harry's jaw. He jerked back, but the top wasn't going to let him get far.

"I love you, but we can't do this anymore—the fighting. It has to stop. If this is the only way I can get you to listen to me, then we're going to do it John's way," Peter said, letting his hand drop. "You're going to come with us to John's cabin and we're going to fix this tonight."

Harry glared, but John could see him wavering a little. He glanced at the resort top. "Why don't we try letting him go? We'll see what he decides to do."

"He's going to run—or try to."

"That's his choice. If he tries, he knows the consequences."

"Very well, sir," the top said, letting go and stepping aside. Harry immediately tried to back up, tugging his partner with him several steps before Peter dug in his heels.

With a sigh, John shook his head. "Peter, with your permission, we're going to pick him up and drag him to the suite."

Peter's voice was tight. "He can walk. He walked here on his own. He can walk back."

"Okay, it's up to you. He's your sub, so we can do this however you prefer."

"I'd prefer if we didn't have to do it this way, but he hasn't really given us much choice." Peter sounded better, stronger. Good. He needed to be for this to work.

Nodding, John stepped aside. "I'll be right behind you if you need help."

Peter nodded and tugged Harry forward, forcing him to walk several steps. His eyes were still wide, anger still evident in the way he held his body. "We're going to John's cabin now. Do you understand?"

Harry, glared, and sniffed. But he didn't try to break away, which was a good sign. He was angry, but at the same time, John knew this was, in a way, what he wanted.

They moved slowly—Harry putting up some resistance every now and then—but Peter didn't let up, tugging the leash sharply to get his partner moving again. They were silent the entire way to the cabin. There would be plenty of time for talking later.

When they arrived, John moved ahead, grabbing one of the chairs with lots of points for tying someone down. "It's up to you how you'd like to arrange him, Peter. You can make him sit, and we'll tie him down, you can make him kneel, and I'll get you something that will lock his collar to his ankles so he can't break the position until you want him to, or there is a suspension frame in the corner you can lock him into, so he's standing with his hands above his head."

"Chair for now," Peter said quietly.

John nodded, moving into the bedroom where he'd left Rodney. His lover was still there, laying on his stomach, the television on low. "Hey," he said with a smile as John walked in. "Hope you don't mind…" he said gesturing to the television. "I didn't want to sleep too much."

John moved closer, pressing a kiss to his lover's mouth. "Not at all. Peter and Harry are here. We found Harry at a resort function for single subs to pick up tops. Peter is taking control, and I'm teaching him how. How are you feeling? Up to letting me demonstrate a few things on you? I don't want to do too much to Harry directly—they both need Peter to be the one making those moves."

"Of course," Rodney said, shifting on the bed, moving to his knees. He hissed a little as he moved. "I don't know if you can do anything with my ass right now, though."

Humming, John moved in, wrapping his hand around his sub's neck, leaning their foreheads together. It was comforting, and some of the tension that had built up dealing with Harry flowed out of him. "I don't think I'll need to. Mostly, I want to demonstrate some bondage techniques, and possibly things that can be used for pleasure or pain, but aren't too scary. Like maybe some of the tweezer nipple clamps."

Rodney's hands settled on John's hips. "Whatever you need to do to help them, John. I know this is important to you."

"I just hate seeing them both so unhappy. They need to redefine their roles a bit, and work a few things out. I'm really hoping that by doing this, it will give them a platform to work out some of those issues."

"They need to trust each other again," Rodney said, his hands stroking upward.

"Exactly." John arched a little, then reluctantly pulled back. "When they leave, I think I want you to touch me all over and make me forget about all of this for a while. Right now though, Peter needs my support. He doesn't really know what he's doing, and he needs me there to help him while he's feeling his way through this."

"Hmm…it is still my day, isn't it?"

"It very much is." John smiled at him, then moved away, to get some rope from the resort's stash.

Rodney moved slowly off the bed, obviously careful of his aching ass. He wasn't complaining, which in John's mind meant he had really enjoyed it. "Where do you want me?"

Once he had the rope, John moved back to his sub and took his hand. "For now, just stay close. I'll have to play it a little by ear, based on how Harry reacts and what Peter wants. I'm giving Peter options, but I'm not making the decisions for him."

"Okay," Rodney said, nodding, his hand drifting up to rest on John's cheek. He turned his lover's head and pressed a kiss to John's lips.

John allowed them both to have that moment, before he moved them back into the living room. He handed the rope to Peter. "That should be enough to tie his hands and feet to the chair."

Harry was scowling at Peter where he stood in the middle of the room, his entire body nearly vibrating with anger. Peter hadn't let go of the leash yet, which was probably a good thing.

With John giving him direction—and helping when Harry refused to sit—they quickly got him tied to the chair. John unlocked the wrist cuffs, holding him in place as Peter tied his arms to the chair. John moved back, sitting on the couch directly across from Harry, and pulling Rodney down next to him. "Good. Now you have a couple of options. You can leave the gag on and talk to him, say all the things you've been wanting to say without fear of interruption. Or you can take it off, and allow him to have a few words."

"I might not be able to get it in again if I take it out," Peter said after a long pause.

"Possibly. Right now he's angry and not really sure of what to do, because this isn't exactly what he had in mind. He wanted a top, but I don't think he really thought through what that really means."

"Make him sit for a bit," Rodney said quietly. "He has nothing to do but think, then. It'll force him to calm down, too."

John pressed a kiss into Rodney's forehead. "Good idea, buddy. You're our resident expert sub, and you've also had some struggles with dropping down at times. Peter, I'd take his suggestion if I were you. He knows better than either of us what Harry's thinking without taking off the gag to hear him shout it."

"He's too angry to listen right now," Rodney said, shifting into John's body.

Peter nodded slowly, then moved away from Harry. "All right. I've trusted you this far, John. I just... I want to do whatever it takes to fix this. I love you, Harry."

Harry said something behind the gag—or at least tried to. Whatever it was, from the tone John knew it wasn't complimentary.

"Why don't we go into the kitchen," John said softly. "We need to eat, and it will give Harry some time to think about what he really wants."

"The snack is wearing off," Rodney said. "I could eat."

They rose, and moved into the kitchen area, Peter trailing behind them. John pulled out the leftovers from their previous meals, and started making sandwiches. "How are you doing, Peter?"

He kept glancing over his shoulder at his partner. "I'm not sure about this, honestly."

"So talk to me. Talk it through. We have some time, since it will take Harry a little while to work through his anger enough to be in a mindset to listen."

"We've never had to do this before," Peter said with a sigh as Rodney shifted behind John, wrapping his arms around him as he settled in against his back, head on his shoulder.

"I know. But have you ever let it go this long before? He's been thinking about this for a while it seems, so you're having to take slightly more drastic measures."

There was the sound of a scrape of the chair against the floor. Apparently Harry was tired of sitting still. Peter's head turned, his body moving to go to him.

"Don't go in there yet. He's not ready to listen, and he needs you to be strong. Trust me, I know it's not easy when all you want to do is take them in your arms and kiss them and make everything okay. But right now that's not what he needs."

"I need to have my Harry back, not…not whatever this is," he said harshly.

"Want me to check on him?" Rodney whispered quietly into John's ear.

John nodded to Rodney, giving him permission. "You will. This is... acting out. This is more about him not knowing what to do to fix things any more than you do. All he knows is that he misses you, and he feels like he's lost your attention. He just decided to try this method to get it back."

"This is a hell of a way to get my attention," he said, rubbing a hand roughly across his face as Rodney padded quietly out of the kitchen.

"I know. But it worked, didn't it?"

Peter grumbled an acknowledgement as John handed him a sandwich. Rodney was talking quietly in the other room, low enough for John not to make out any words.

"At the end of the day, with any luck, you guys will be on your way to actually fixing the problem, instead of just dancing around it. You both needed to go outside what you've always done before this time, I think."

"Maybe," Peter said with a sigh, taking a bite of his sandwich. Rodney wandered in a few beats later, his face concerned.

"How's he doing?" John held out an arm so his lover could get close again.

"Very angry. Not sure this will work the way it is right now."

John sighed. "Any suggestions, from a sub's point of view?"

"Well, he shifted the chair so he could scowl in the direction of the kitchen and he's not listening to me right now either. Maybe take him all the way down—no clothes, blindfold, kneeling. I'm not sure it will work or not, but if he doesn't quiet after this then maybe it's not the right thing for him."

"He was dropping into headspace earlier, watching us, and before we found him, I told Peter if he hadn't been a friend, I would have read him as a desperate sub who very much needed and wanted his top to take control. So that might work. The question is, Peter, do you think you can do that?"

Peter looked shell-shocked again, his eyes on John and Rodney.

"You might not have a choice," his lover said quietly, squeezing John lightly.

John squeezed back. "Maybe, but it's not my choice to make. I can walk you though it, Peter, but it has to be your decision. Harry is yours."

"I can't…we can't do this…thing anymore. We can't," Peter said, the words slightly strangled, his sandwich forgotten.

"What thing? Being together? Or trying the dom/sub route?"

"The fighting."

"So try this. Let yourself get into it, and be the dominant partner. From what you guys have said, it can't get any worse, and it might just make it a hell of a lot better."

Peter sighed again. "I already agreed to this, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you're still holding back. Understandable, since this isn't something you really sought out, but had thrust on you by circumstance. But if this is really going to work, you have to be the one in charge, not me. I can offer advice and suggestions, but Harry needs to know it's you calling the shots."

"Fine. So what now?"

"Well, I can either sit and watch, and offer suggestions when you ask, or, if you'd prefer, I can show you techniques using Rodney. He's already agreed that he doesn't mind, as long as I stay away from his ass, since I used it hard earlier and he needs some time to recover."

"That's why he's walking funny."

John gave Peter a small grin. "Oh yeah."

"Can I eat a little something before you gag me?" Rodney asked quietly. "I don't know how long it'll take with Harry like this. Maybe he won't feel so weird if I'm secured the same way he is."

Nodding, John fed his lover a bite of food. "I really don't want to send you all the way down again right now, but if I have to, I will."

"I'll try to stay up a bit if you want me to, but it won't take much to send me down," he said quietly after chewing what John had given him.

"I know. And I don't want you to get in the habit of fighting it. Let yourself sink into it, and I'll bring you up again when I'm ready for it." John fed him another bite, kissing the tip of his nose.

Rodney nodded, settling in close to John's side. Peter sighed quietly, slowly eating his own sandwich. "We used to be like that," he said. "Used to touch all the time."

"You will again. Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you and, before you know it, you've drifted apart. Even being aware of it, we still mess up. Before we got here, we weren't bad, but we weren't as close. That's one of the reasons we needed this vacation, and as our schedules allow, I try to set aside days when we can just be together to combat the drift."

"We used to do that…long weekends in different places, seeing things and enjoying ourselves," Peter said, his voice trailing off at the end a little. Rodney's hand was slowly shifting from John's hip to the button on his pants.

"You'll do it again. You'll get through this, and be a stronger couple for it in the long run." John's breath hitched as Rodney brushed over his crotch.

As John fed him another bite, Rodney's hand slid against skin, fingers reaching to stroke John's dick.

"I thought this vacation would help," Peter said. "And it would give us the chance to see you. It's been anything except a vacation, honestly."

"Mmm, well, it is nice to visit, and you just got unlucky that it brought everything to a head. But hopefully tonight will start things moving in the right direction again, and the rest of your time here will be a lot better."

"I hope so," he said with a sigh. "I guess I need to change my plane again."

John nodded. "Yes. But you can deal with that later. Right now, let's go take care of Harry, if we can. Rodney, can you go get your gag and the connection bars from the bedroom for me?"

"Yes, John," he said, uncurling from John's body, his hand reluctantly slipping away from John's length. "Anything else?"

John pulled him back for a quick kiss. "I love you."

"Love you, too," he said with a smile before moving slowly and carefully to the bedroom.

John admired the view for a moment before glancing back over at Peter. "All right, so how would you like to do this?"

"I have no idea," Peter said with a sigh a few beats later. "Rodney said something about Harry being naked. I don't know how I'm going to do that without unhooking him and I don't know if that's a good idea right now. He's liable to kill me."

"Is he wearing anything that would be a problem for him to lose? If not, just cut the clothes off him."

"He has other stuff," Peter said, his eyes widening. "Just…cut off his clothes?"

John nodded. "Yes. You can use scissors, or I have a knife you can use, whichever you prefer. I think once he gets past the anger, he's going to fall at least partially into headspace. This might be what he needs to make that transition. I'll secure Rodney first, so you—and he—can see what it will look like."

Peter nodded, following John back into the living room. Sure enough, Harry had shifted the chair so he could look into the kitchen—or scowl as the case may be. Rodney was just returning now, his arms full of equipment—spreader bars, straps, locks, blindfolds, gags…the works.

"Mmm, good boy." John offered the praise with a smile, giving Rodney a kiss after his lover set the equipment down and came to him. He grabbed a pillow from the couch, and tossed it down on the floor. "On your knees for me, buddy."

Rodney moved to the pillow, carefully settling down on it as Peter and Harry watched. He put his hands behind him, holding them in the small of his back, his head he angled down. Two breaths later and he relaxed into the position.

"Mmm, very good." John needed for them both to see this didn't have to be about force, or punishment. He ran his hands over Rodney's body before he latched both hands together, and then used an extender bar to secure his hands to his feet, limiting his movement. A gag was the last to go on.

His sub was already aroused, his cock hardening and lengthening with each additional connection. John moved one last time, connecting Rodney's ankles to the hook in the floor, securing him in place. He moaned quietly as soon as the lock snapped closed, tugging gently on the bonds.

"Shh, I've got you, and you're doing good. Just let go. I'll take care of you."

He nodded, his body relaxing again as he leaned into John's touch, his eyes sliding closed. John ran his hand through Rodney's hair, petting him. He glanced over at his friends who had been watching.

"He just…" Peter trailed off, wrenching his eyes up toward John.

Smiling, John nodded. "To him, this means comfort, and safety. He can let go completely, because he knows I'll catch him, and I'll bring him back when the time comes to return to reality."

"You want Harry…like that?"

Harry was looking at Rodney with a mix of longing and lingering anger. He didn't look up, but just shrugged, refusing to agree to anything.

John glanced at Harry. "What I want doesn't matter. It's what you want your sub to do."

"I want him to stop fighting me."

"So show him that you're taking control, and that your willingness to put up with his rebellion has run its course." John pointed at a pair of scissors sitting on the end table of the couch. "Take off what you don't want him wearing, and then teach him how you want him positioned, whether that means he assumes it on his own, or you lock him into it."

"But you locked Rodney into it," he said even as he moved to the scissors.

"Because even though I know Rodney would take that position if I told him to, for him, taking away the choice is part of what helps him sink down. Every sub is different. Mine happens to like bondage—actually, he's asked for more, at times, than I'm comfortable giving him. I do my best to find compromises we can both live with, but he accepts that, at the end of the day, it's ultimately my decision."

Harry was trembling a little in the chair as Peter approached him with the scissors, finally watching his lover, most of the anger gone.

It was a very good sign. Harry was starting to drop, little by little. John watched as Peter slowly, methodically, cut off all of Harry's clothes. He hesitated at the boxers, then glanced at Rodney and cut those off, too.

It was hard to watch, in a way. He'd never purposely looked at his friends when they were naked. It was a little weird, actually. They were family.

Peter stepped back as soon as the clothes were gone, tilting his head as he looked at his lover's semi-hard cock. "You want this badly, don't you?"

Harry's breath hitched, but he lowered his eyes, shrugged. There was still some rebellion in him. That was good, actually. John didn't want to teach Peter to break Harry's spirit, only teach them both a different way of dealing with each other, of approaching problems.

"Look at Rodney. Look at him. Is that what you want?"

Shaking slightly, Harry's eyes rose, moving to Rodney. For his part, Rodney was leaning against John, eyes closed, humming softly to himself in contentment. After a long moment, Harry gave a little nod, looking back at Peter. Instead of anger, there was now a spark of arousal for his partner.

Peter glanced at John briefly, who only nodded at him to continue. "Are you going to fight me when I untie you?"

Harry hesitated again, then shook his head no.

"Okay. Good," Peter said, sounding a little breathless.

Peter slowly untied Harry. John was concerned the other man would try to bolt, but after another hesitation, he slowly slid off the chair, onto the floor. He glanced over at Rodney again before carefully putting his hands behind his back, looking up at Peter.

For a moment, John was almost certain Peter was about ready to bolt instead of Harry.

But instead, he took a deep breath and swallowed, picking up one of the bars Rodney had brought, securing Harry the same way John had done with Rodney.

It took a few minutes to get everything in place—partially because it was new and also because Peter's hands would shake every now and then. Through it all, Rodney was purring contentedly at John's side, pressed in close.

Harry, for his part, seemed to actually be relaxing. He was watching Peter, and not struggling at all anymore.

"Okay," Peter said finally, stepping back a few steps when he got the last lock secured, breathing hard as if he'd just run a marathon. "Now what?"

"Touch him. Pet him. Talk to him. Tell him all the things you've been wanting to say, good and bad."

"Now? Don't we have to wait…or something?"

One of John's eyebrows went up. "What do you want to wait for?"

"I don't know. You're the expert here."

Shaking his head, John chuckled softly. "You're suffering from a common misconception, I think. This isn't about humiliation or getting a power trip by forcing your partner to do something—although I won't lie, there are people out there who will do that sort of thing. This is about you two, and your connection with each other. Sometimes, to break down all the barriers you've built between you, you need to have a physical component."

"So…just talk to him."

"I can take Rodney and go in the other room if you'd like some privacy, but yes. Talk. Touch him. All the things you told me, everything you've been feeling. Say it."

"Ah…" Peter looked scared for moment, but then nodded. "Yeah. That might be good."

Shaking his head, John leaned down and unlocked the bar and his wrists and then pulled Rodney to his feet. He led his lover into the bedroom, quietly pulling the door closed.

Rodney was so pliant like this, so moldable. Apart from his cock, John didn't think there was a tense muscle in Rodney's body.

Pulling the gag out slowly, John replaced it with his own lips, kissing Rodney deeply, putting everything into it.

His lover didn't hold back, kissing John back with an equal intensity, moaning into the kiss as John's hands stroked his body.

They somehow made it to the bed, and John lifted his head, looking at his perfect, beautiful sub. "God, I'm a lucky man."

"I am," he whispered, holding John's gaze, leaning forward to kiss John again, his hand grazing along John's side.

Humming, John arched up, giving Rodney more access.

"You are so perfect," Rodney said, his voice awed as he bent down, his tongue licking John's nipple.

Panting, John's body was tingling, sitting up and taking notice. "Oh, god... Rodney... love you so damn much..."

Rodney continued to touch and play with him, ramping him up higher and higher. He knew all his hot spots, knew everything that would drive him crazy.

But every time John started to get closer to the edge, Rodney backed away, or changed it up, pulling him down again. With a moan, John wordlessly begged for more.

"Soon, John…soon. I promise," he whispered, words ghosting across his skin.

"So good, so good, so good..."

"You do this to me every time," he whispered, fingers drifting down his left leg.

"Rodney, oh, oh Rodney, love you..."

"You'll love me more in a minute," he said and then swallowed John down.

"Oh Fuck!" John screamed, his entire body convulsing with pleasure.

His lover brought him quickly to his climax, leaving him limp and sated and panting a few minutes later. Rodney shifted, laying beside him and cuddling close, pressing a kiss to John's skin.

With a limp hand, John managed to bury his fingers in Rodney's hair. "Nnnnnnnngh."

Rodney pressed a kiss to the skin near his head—somewhere on John's shoulder—but was otherwise quiet and content beside him.

Since they couldn't go out into the living room just yet, John sighed, content and curled a little more toward Rodney, tangling them together. He closed his eyes, enjoying being here, just like this.

They drifted—half asleep, half awake—until there was a tentative knock on the door.

"C'mon in. S'unlocked." John lifted his head.

Peter poked his head in, looking a little sheepish. "Do you have the key for the stuff?"

With a grin, John nodded. He sat up, pressing a kiss to Rodney's head before sliding off the bed, padding over to the drawer. "This one should work on all the locks we used."

"Okay, ah…thanks," he said, taking it from John.

"How's it going?"

"Okay, I think. Ah…of course Harry had no choice but to listen to me blather on for the last while. This," he said holding up the key, "might change things."

"I think you'll be surprised. I'll be in here if you need me."

"Ah…yeah. Thanks. If there's shouting come running."

"You might get embarrassed if I did that." John winked at him.

"Ah…I don't think that's possible anymore," he said with a quiet sigh.

John shook his head. "No giving up. You've come this far. Give Harry a chance to talk now, and listen to him. Really listen, and don't interrupt him."

"What, should I let him tie me up and gag me now?"

John rolled his eyes. "No. You're the dom, and you're still a bit too new to this to play with role reversal. Take off the gag, sit next to him, and touch him. Listen while he talks. Don't get angry or take offense. If you disagree with something, let him explain why he feels that way, and then, calmly, explain your side."

Peter took a deep breath and then let it out in a big whoosh. "Okay. Ah…thanks."

Putting a hand on Peter's shoulder, John squeezed. "You guys are my family, Peter, and I want to see you both happy. It's obvious you still love each other, you just needed to get past a bumpy place in the road."

"Filled with potholes the size of Buicks."

"And you'll fill them in, one at a time. This is the first one, and while there are more, you have to start somewhere."

"I know, I know," he said with another sigh. "We never had issues, even at the beginning. This is…uncharted territory."

Squeezing again once, John let go and started Peter toward the door. "But he's worth the work. And while this particular dynamic might be mostly new, you guys have dabbled around the edges of it for years. But it will all be okay."

"Hope so," he said, quietly closing the door behind him.

With a sigh, John went back to the bed, back to Rodney's arms.

A few minutes passed before Rodney shifted. "Think we can sneak out through our sliding doors to get ice cream?"

That startled a laugh out of John. "We could. I could leave Peter a note saying we'll be back shortly. Got a craving?"

"Actually…tired of lying in bed. If I don't move soon I'll never sleep tonight."

"Eh, I should probably move a bit, too." Sitting back up, John scrawled a quick note and left it on the bed. "Let's go for a walk."

"A slow one."

With another chuckle, John led him, hand in hand, out the back door and down the path, toward the beach.

The sun had long since set; the moon and stars littering the sky above. Rodney glanced over at him at one point, smiling to himself. "Decided to do the no clothes thing, eh?"

With a start, John glanced down. "Shit, I totally forgot about that."

That got a laugh out of his lover. "Distracted you, did I?"

"Um, yeah." John flushed.

"Good."

As they walked, John could feel the blush staining his cheeks. He was used to having Rodney naked, not to being naked himself. He had too many scars, and was too lanky to be really considered a fine specimen.

"There's no one else here and I like to see you sometimes—all of you," Rodney said quietly a few minutes later, bumping his shoulder into John.

Shooting a wry smile at his lover, John bumped back. "I know. I like you seeing me, I just don't know that anyone else will want to. But if you're happy, then I'm happy."

"You're fine. I'm the one who should be self-conscious. Between all the hardware," he said holding up his restraint-encased wrist, "and the extra weight and the receding hairline, you're like a Greek god or something."

"Yeah, no. You're perfect. I'm too skinny and I'm all banged up."

"You're perfect, John," Rodney said, drawing to a stop and turning his lover to him. "In every way. You're exactly what I want and need."

Smiling for real this time, John pulled Rodney in for a quick kiss. "Ditto. How about we agree to be perfect to each other, and not worry about what anyone else thinks?"

"Mmm…okay," Rodney said, diving back in for another kiss as he wrapped his arms around John.

John broke the kiss a few minutes later so they could continue down the meandering path. "I wonder how Peter's doing."

"Hopefully not screaming at each other. God…I couldn't believe how much Harry wanted it."

"I know. It was a little surprising, but in a good way. If Peter can just get over his own issues, they still have a chance."

"What are his issues? When I met them they were already a little dom/sub. You could see it. What changed?"

"To be honest, I don't think Peter thought of it in those terms. Everyone else did, but I get the feeling he just thought they were an ordinary couple. I also think he has a lot of misconceptions about what being a dom means, which is holding him back."

"Right now both they're making each other miserable."

"Well, hopefully this was a step in the right direction, at least."

"I hope so," Rodney said with a quiet sigh, continuing a few moments later. "I still remember what you did to me after that whole incident with Doranda. And it wasn't all that long ago."

John squeezed Rodney's hand. "I love you."

He glanced to the side and gave John a warm smile. "I know. And I think somewhere in the middle of that day is when I really realized it."

John had to kiss him again, hard. "I'll never leave you, never let you go, for any reason."

"Thank you for taking the time to…" Rodney's hand waved vaguely in the air. "You know, for taking the time to help me figure out what I needed."

"You're my partner. That's part of the package deal."

"Most people wouldn't have taken the time."

"I love you." To John, that was all there was to it.

Rodney smiled, moving in close, wrapping his arms around John without saying a word.

"Mine," John whispered softly. "Always."

They stayed close like that for a long while, letting the sound of the ocean and the light from the moon embrace them. This vacation had been a really good idea.

When an errant little breeze blew by, John was surprised by his own shiver. He had forgotten he was naked.

Rodney chuckled quietly. "Not used to it are you?"

"Not quite. Want to find a place where you can warm me up?"

"I could probably do that right here."

"Could you now?"

"Would you like that?" Rodney whispered. "Would you like to come on a beach where anyone could see you?"

"Ahhh... You know I... have a kink for public sex..." John could feel himself starting to fill, his breath starting to pick up again.

"We're both naked, too. We don't have to worry about clothes getting soaked with ocean water," Rodney said, shifting them, walking John backwards.

"Mmmm, genius."

"Of course," Rodney said as John's feet hit the water-cooled sand.

Another shiver made its way up John's spine.

Rodney kept moving them back, further and further into the surf, until the waves were hitting the back of John's legs. "What do you think, John? Think you'd like this?"

"Oh god..." John really was panting now, and he didn't know if the shivering was from the cold or the pleasure washing through him.

"And I haven't even started anything yet," Rodney said with a chuckle. "What will happen once I actually start to do something, John? Will you tremble and shiver more? Will you tell me how much you like it? Will you shout it for everyone to hear?" He shifted around John, pressing up against his back and tugging them deeper. His hands began to stroke John's chest, his fingers moving to every single hot point.

"I... I..." The ability to form coherent thoughts was rapidly leaving him.

Rodney's hand reached down, encircling his cock. "What about now, John?"

"Rodney...." It came out as a plea, as worship, everything John felt for his sub, his partner, his lover. All wrapped up in a name.

"Do you want to come just like this? Can you?" Rodney squeezed, tightening his grip on John.

John's breath hitched. "I…Maybe..."

"Just maybe?" Rodney stroked him slowly.

"I…Please... Rodney..." John's body was narrowing in on the contrast of Rodney's big, warm hands on his own clammy skin.

"Open your eyes, John. There are people on the path watching you. You're perfect like this, so perfect."

With effort, John opened his eyes, his head falling back onto Rodney's shoulder. "You…you're amazing…love you so much…"

"Do you see them? There are two couples now." Rodney's hand picked up speed, twisting a little at the end. "They're watching you fall apart in my hands."

John tore his eyes to the beach, panting harder when he saw the people, not far away, watching them, listening. John moaned.

"Yeah, John. Let them hear you. Tell them how much you like this," Rodney whispered, his free hand tracking up toward John's nipples.

Thrashing a little, John moaned, his entire body responding.

"Louder," Rodney whispered.

"Oh god, Rodney, please..." John sobbed, wanting, needing more.

"Louder. I want those people watching to know how good it is," he said, fingers tweaking and torturing a nipple. "There's six of them now. All watching you."

Arching, John moaned again, louder this time. He was getting desperate, his body going higher and higher.

"Good. So good," Rodney said, his touch firming, giving John more. "Louder."

With another sob, John's knees threatened to buckle.

Rodney's hands stilled, pulling him closer to his body, holding him up. "You do this to me every time. It's only fair I get to do it to you, too."

"Please..." John whispered the plea. "I... I want to come, but I don't want it to end. Rodney..."

"Every time, John," he whispered, his hands beginning their magic again.

"Because... because... love you... make you feel good..."

"Come on, John, come for me. Let them watch you, see you let go."

"F…fuck..." With a half-moan, half-scream, John came, his body going limp against his lover's.

Rodney held him up through his climax, kept him close. As soon as John's knees were no longer threatening to buckle, Rodney turned him in his arms and tugged him deeper into the water, letting it rise against their over-heated skin.

It made John twitch hard, the contrast of temperatures, and he gave another pathetic moan.

"I've got you," he said, holding him as they finally settled in water up to their chests, his hands stroking gently against John's back.

"Mmmm, love you."

"Love you, too," he whispered, laying his head on John's shoulder, tucking himself under John's chin.

John managed to wrap his arms around his sub, holding him close. This was absolutely perfect.

They let sounds around them settle in close, just enjoying the contact of each other. Rodney shifted a long while later, his hands sliding down to cup John's ass. "Do you realize this is the first time I've actually been in the water since we got here?"

John blinked. "Huh. You're right. You should surf with me."

"For your amusement?"

"You might like it." He managed to keep a straight face for about twenty seconds before he had to snicker.

"Uh huh. Exactly. Beached whale on a board," Rodney said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, I actually think you'd probably be good at it if you wanted to be—it's just physics when you get down to it—but I don't think you'd enjoy it. You'd be too worried."

"Yes. About breaking every bone in my body and then drowning."

"I wouldn't let that happen. But I'd rather you spend your vacation relaxed and happy, than worried."

"I have no issues with swimming. Well, apart from the fact that sunscreen wears off a lot faster when you're in the water and then you have to worry about sunburn and I always turn bright red real fast."

"Mmmm, there are certain parts of you that are quite fetching bright red."

"That's fine, as long as it isn't a burn," Rodney said, rolling his eyes again and shoving John a little.

Laughing softly, John pulled his sub in for a quick, wet kiss. "I'm starting to get cold again, so what do you say we head back to the suite? I'm thinking a nice long, hot shower."

"Do I get a massage?"

"If you'll massage my scalp when you wash my hair."

"I can massage other bits, too," Rodney said, letting John lead him from the water.

"Mmmm, you can. But right now, I'm not entirely sure those bits would be up for another massage. Sometimes I wish we had met when we were both eighteen with all that recovery time."

"Considering everything, we have some pretty good recovery time," Rodney said with a smile. "For two old men."

"That we do. Apparently, you're the ultimate aphrodisiac. If everyone knew, they'd all want a piece of your ass. But I'm keeping it all to myself."

Rodney snorted. "You better."

"All mine." John drawled the words out, making them each as many syllables as he could manage.

Rodney squeezed his hand, offering a broad smile. "Every last piece."

Humming, John squeezed back. "I know this is going to sound unforgivably sappy, but I don't think I've ever been happier in my entire life than I am with you."

"It is sappy," Rodney said with a teasing smile. "I never took you for the romantic."

John blushed. "I never was, until you."

"You don't just become romantic overnight. You either are or aren't. Therefore, you had to be romantic before this…thing started."

"Maybe it was just a hidden depth, and I needed you to come along and unlock it. And oh my god I'm even making myself sick now." John made a face.

Rodney laughed easily. "If you start waxing poetic about hidden depths and drawing feelings and emotions to the surface I swear you will not be getting anything easy for the rest of this vacation."

John mimed zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key.

His lover rolled his eyes and paused on their walk back, drawing John in for a kiss. When he leaned back a few moments later, his eyes were amused. "That's a better way to stop with the hidden depths talk, isn't it?"

"Mmmmmm." With a grin, John wiggled his eyebrows and puffed his lips in an exaggerated kiss.

"You are an idiot. You know that, right?"

"Mmmm hmmm."

"So before you decide to tumble us in the sand and get it in unmentionable places, do you think it might be a good idea to head back to see if your friends killed each other yet?"

With an eye roll, John nodded. "Probably. And I still want that shower. I'm freezing."

"So my warm-up only lasted a little while, eh?" Rodney asked as John untangled them and they started to walk back to the cabin.

"I guess that just means you should do it more often." John grinned. "It was a spectacular way to warm up."

"You were amazing. Did you see all of those people watching you?"

John laughed, shaking his head. "I was vaguely aware of them, but you had me pretty well distracted."

"They looked jealous."

"I'm all yours."

"I know," Rodney said, tugging John so their shoulders brushed and bumped together. "I still keep thinking about that Club in Vegas."

"God, was that hot. We set off an orgy. How many people can say that?"

"I keep wondering what would have happen if you'd fucked me that night," Rodney said, cheeks tinted a little with red.

John's dick wasn't going to perk up again this soon, but it certainly thought about it. "That would have been really hot."

Rodney hummed non-committedly. "Probably. I just…I think right now I regret not doing it, but I know I wasn't ready for it then."

"You weren't. Maybe some day we'll go back, but at the time, you were still new to being a sub."

"I know. Doesn't mean I don't think about it."

"My kinks are seriously rubbing off on you." John's grin was huge. "I like that."

Rodney huffed, but didn't argue. "You've changed my mind about a lot of things."

Stopping again, John pulled his lover in for a brief kiss. "That's why we're such perfect partners. We complement each other."

"I know," Rodney said, his arms wrapping around John. His mood had shifted again, from the teasing and playful to a more serious tone.

John brushed his sub's cheek with the back of his hand. Rodney's eyes fluttered shut and he leaned into the caress.

"Love you. So much."

"Love you," he whispered, moving his body closer to John. It was almost like he could see Rodney shifting gears, slowing down.

John trailed his fingers over Rodney's body, keeping the caresses light, easy. Goose bumps erupted on the skin as John's fingers passed, a small shiver breaking out a few moments later.

"I think it's my turn to do a little warming up."

Rodney lifted his head and John found his lover's eyes already blown out, his smile soft. "As you wish."

Humming a little, John stole another quick kiss before taking Rodney's hand to finish the walk back to the cabin. When they slipped back in, John saw the note he had left hadn't moved. "Rodney, go wait for me in the bathroom. I'll be right there to let you relieve yourself, and then we'll get in the shower. I want to poke my head out to see how Peter and Harry are doing."

His sub nodded, obeying easily, immediately as John turned to move into the living room.

Poking his head out the door, he immediately saw his friends.

They actually hadn't moved much—which was pretty surprising—but they seemed to be engaged in an activity other than talking at the present time. From the looks of things, they may have actually made up—at least a little—especially since they were making out quite well, even with Harry still secured to the floor where Peter had placed him.

Quietly, John shut the bedroom door again, giving them their privacy. He snagged the note and tossed it in the trash before heading into the bathroom.

Rodney was kneeling in the center of the bathroom, holding his position exactly as John had trained him. There was still water from the ocean, a few drops on his pale skin. There was a sense of peace and calm emanating from him that made John smile.

"God, you're so beautiful." Moving closer, John ran his fingers through the baby-soft hair on his lover's head.

He kept still, but John could see the light tremor that made its way through his body from John's touch.

"Tomorrow, I want to see you like this again. For a long stretch of time. I'll set you up a pillow in the living room, and you're going to hold this position until I tell you otherwise."

"Yes, John." The words were feather-light.

Humming a little, John walked around him, touching, caressing. Finally, he smiled softly. "Stand up. I'm sure your bladder is screaming at you."

"Little," he said with a small nod as he slowly rose to his feet, his movements still a little tentative from this afternoon's rough play.

"So let's take care of that, and then go wash off this salt."

Rodney licked his lips and nodded, shifting and moving only when John touched and directed him. Pressed up against his sub's back, John was actually surprised at the sheer volume of liquid Rodney had been holding in.

He made sure Rodney was empty, and then took care of himself before starting the shower. The hot water felt fantastic. "Wash me first, and then I'll take care of you."

With another nod, Rodney got to work, washing John thoroughly, his eyes at half-mast. All of his focus was on John and the skin he was currently washing, his strokes sure and firm. He'd pepper the skin with kisses every now and then before moving onto another spot.

John let himself relax, leaning against the wall, just feeling. He loved Rodney's hands on his body. His strong fingers finally focused on his scalp, rubbing and massaging until John swore every muscle in his body was loose and limp.

He could fall asleep like this, right here.

Rodney eventually shifted him, his hand covering his eyes as he ducked John's head under the water, washing off the rest of the soap and shampoo. He gently moved John back against the wall and with a quiet sigh, pressed in close along his side, relaxing into him.

"Mmmmmmmm."

John felt his sub nod in response, but he was otherwise quiet.

He knew if he didn't move soon, he'd probably fall asleep like this, which could only end in disaster. "My turn."

John finally roused himself, shifting them around in the shower, surprised at how relaxed and pliable his lover was.

He did the same to Rodney that his lover had done for him, washing him completely, pressing kisses and caresses in wherever he felt like it, massaging out Rodney's back and shoulders. By the time the water was starting to get a little cooler, John was pretty sure they were both in a near-puddle state.

John dried them off and then led his sub to the bed, settling his unresisting body into the middle of the mattress.

He thought about checking on Peter and Harry one last time, then decided against it. He had taken them as far as he could right now. It was up to them to keep it going. He'd offer advice if it was asked of him, but he knew he couldn't force anything. So instead, he climbed up beside Rodney, curling their bodies together.

Rodney settled in close, a contented purr drifting from him as their bodies touched.

With a content sigh, John let a gentle sleep pull him under.

***

Rodney woke sometime in the early morning—given the angle of the sun through the sliding doors. He had to pee and he was ravenous.

John was plastered over him and was leaning on his bladder—which is probably why he really had to pee.

He shifted, getting John to move, relieving a little of the pressure. Much better. He had a few more minutes before he'd really have issues.

John muttered something that didn't include vowels or words.

The soft sound made Rodney smile. He wrapped his arms around his lover, letting the sounds drifting in through the open window wash over him. There was a light knock at the bedroom door a little while later and he lifted his head, watching as Peter stepped inside.

"Ahhh, good morning."

"Morning," Rodney whispered. "You okay?"

"I... maybe. John still sleeping, huh? I thought he was a morning person." Peter was keeping his voice equally quiet.

"Yesterday was a long day for him," he said, gesturing for Peter to move closer. They were cocooned in the blankets so Rodney didn't feel quite so weird about having Peter there with them both naked. For some reason, John needed clothes around people. He didn't care so much anymore about himself. He'd gotten used to it.

"Yes, and I'm sorry for the part we played in that. I think... Harry and I still have issues, but I'm a little more confident that we'll work them out now. I just wanted to let you know we're going to head back to our cabin for the day. Why don't we meet for dinner tonight?"

"I'll let John know and he'll get back to you."

"Good. And thank you, too. You've both been... better friends than either of us probably deserve."

Rodney gave a little shrug, making John shift closer to him. "Isn't that what family's for?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." Peter smiled, one of the first Rodney had seen on his face all vacation. "I'll see you guys tonight, hopefully. Enjoy your day."

"You, too."

Peter slipped back out again, pulling the door closed behind him.

John shifted again, landing on Rodney's bladder making him 'oof' quietly.

"Mmmmm..." John sighed, wiggling in closer.

He groaned, trying to move out from under John's weight. "Don’t…gotta pee…" he whispered.

"Hmmm?" John's head came up, blinking sleepily. "Wha?"

"You're leaning on my bladder."

"Oh." John blinked again. His hair was even more wild than usual.

"Moving," he said, voice straining a bit. "Moving would be good."

"You need to pee?"

"Yes. Very much so. Especially now."

"Oh. Okay."

"Please. Now."

John shook himself a little. "Right. Okay. Let's go."

"Sorry," Rodney whispered as John slid away, rising to his feet still half asleep.

"S'okay. When you gotta go..."

"Was trying not to wake you," he said, letting John usher him into the bathroom. "But you were leaning on my bladder."

"Mmmm." John positioned him, and helped him, resting his head from behind on Rodney's shoulder. "This is better than getting the bed wet."

"Well, we usually get it wet in other ways," Rodney said with a sigh as his bladder released.

"Mmm, yeah." John was drawling all his words out with a sleepy slur.

So much better, Rodney thought as John let him finish and then he took a piss himself. "You sleep okay?"

"Uh huh. Like a log. You?"

"Really well. Peter popped his head in before," he said as they wandered back to the bed.

"Yeah? What'd he want?" John snuggled right back into the position they had been in before.

"To say thank you and to know if we wanted to do dinner tonight. They were headed back to their cabin."

"Huh. Did he say how they were doing?"

"Better. I just hope he didn't keep Harry on his knees all night. He'd be crippled."

"If they were walking back to their cabin, he's probably all right."

"I guess. I told him you'd let him know what your plans were later." Rodney squeezed his arms tighter around John for a moment just as his stomach growled—loudly.

John made a noise that could only be called a harumph. "I don't want to get back up to order food. Go get the cordless phone and the menu and bring it over."

Rodney pressed a kiss to the top of John's head before climbing out of bed and padding into the kitchen. The only evidence that someone had been in the living room was the blanket on the couch as well as a few locks and two spreader bars on the table. Everything else was gone. Huh. Interesting.

He grabbed the room service menu and the phone and then headed back into the bedroom where John was waiting.

His top had wiggled so he was sitting up, piling the pillows against the headboard to lean against. He took the items from Rodney, and then held out his arms, welcoming Rodney back into his embrace.

He eagerly went to him—stomach growling again. "I think Peter took Harry home with all the bondage stuff still on him."

"Good. That means he's getting more comfortable with it as he realizes it's not much different from what they already had, just a new way of showing it."

"They slept on the couch. It's better than the floor, but not by much."

John pressed a kiss into the top of Rodney's head. "They'll be all right. Now, what are you in the mood for in terms of breakfast?"

"Food. I’m starving. Maybe eggs and bacon…oh and maybe sausage. Toast, too and maybe pancakes."

Rodney could feel the rumble of John's amusement as it traveled through his body. "I can do that."

"I didn't eat as much as I usually do yesterday," he protested lightly.

"I wasn't complaining. I'm a feeling a bit hungry myself."

"Oh. And coffee." Rodney settled closer to John, his stomach rumbling again. "Do we have any snacks?"

"Coffee was a given. And yes, but you don't need any. Breakfast won't be long getting here."

"But you didn't call yet. I might wither away."

Laughing again, John kissed him then dialed out, putting in the order.

Rodney's stomach growled again—twice—by the end of the call. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"Well, after breakfast, you're going to go on your knees in the living room, and stay there for the bulk of the day. I want to look at you."

"Really?" Rodney shifted so he could look up at John.

"Really."

He settled back against John with a small puff of air. Still and silent with John watching him, looking at him. He shivered a little at the thought.

One of John's hands came up to pet him. "You're so beautiful when you fall for me. I want to just take my time and admire it."

Rodney's stomach growled again and John shifted, looking at him. "They should be here in a few minutes. Are you going to be okay to wait?"

Rodney nodded. "I'm okay. It's my stomach that needs convincing that I'm not trying to starve it."

"When they knock, I want you to go get it. You're going to take the tray, bring it to me here, and set it on the bed. Then you're going to climb up on the bed and get on your knees."

"On the bed?"

"Yes. I don't feel like getting up yet, so the floor would be too far away."

Rodney shifted again, leaning so he could look up at John. "Are you okay?"

John smiled. "I'm fine, just feeling lazy."

He looked at John for a long moment, taking in his appearance, his feel before he nodded, content that his lover was telling him the truth. "It is early, you know. We could go back to sleep if you wanted."

"And deprive myself of prime Rodney-viewing time? Perish the thought."

"I'm not going anywhere and the sun was just rising when I woke up."

"I'm fine. I just don't feel like getting out of bed just yet." John kissed the top of his head again.

"Okay," Rodney said with a nod, settling back against John only to hear the knock at the front door. "I guess that's breakfast."

"Yup. Why don't you go get it?" John was grinning at him.

"I am," Rodney said, rolling his eyes as he uncurled from his very comfortable resting spot. "You have to give me a minute to actually move out of the bed."

"Hmmm, I guess the incentive of a spanking if you don't hurry it up would probably only serve to make you move slower, wouldn't it?"

"Depends on what paddle you'd be using," Rodney said, but hustled out of the bed. The room service guy was knocking a second time by the time Rodney reached the door.

The man didn't even blink at Rodney's appearance. "Where would you like the tray, sir?"

"I'll take it," he said reaching out.

He handed it over and quietly pulled the door shut as he backed out.

Rodney padded back into the bedroom, using his foot to push the door closed again. John was watching him as he approached, gesturing silently where he wanted the tray. He then pointed to a spot beside him.

"Actually, wait. Before you climb up, get the blindfold out of the drawer."

"I think it's still out in the living room from last night," Rodney said, pointing.

"Go get it then."

Rodney nodded, trying to hold back a sigh. He was hungry and had just been in there—twice. Moving quietly and quickly, he poked through the stuff in the living room, finding the blindfold on the floor under the coffee table. He returned, closing the door on the way in and handed John the blindfold before walking around to the other side of the bed to climb up.

"Very good." John smiled at him, leaning close enough to brush their lips together. "Find a comfortable spot before I put the blindfold on. You will be wearing it for the rest of the day."

Rodney shifted a few times, trying to get comfortable kneeling on the bed. With a final nod he stilled, putting his hands behind his back, left hand clasping his right wrist, holding them in the small of his back.

"Good boy." John purred as he tied on the blindfold, his hands running along Rodney's sides before he pulled away. Rodney could feel him shifting on the bed, and then a bite of food was pressed to his lips.

He took it eagerly. He was so hungry. The eggs were perfect—fluffy and light—and the bacon was amazing. He licked his lips wanting more.

John didn't disappoint, feeding him slowly, letting him savor each bite.

How they managed to make food taste so good, Rodney had no idea and he honestly didn't care. He took every forkful easily, eagerly until he was humming quietly in contentment as his stomach filled.

"Last bite," John said softly.

It was pancake and sausage with a little syrup all mixed together. He moaned at the taste, chewing slowly, licking the last of it from his lips a few moments later.

John moaned right along with him, and as soon as he finished, his top's mouth was there, licking the flavors out of his mouth. John tasted like breakfast too, so he had obviously been feeding himself along with Rodney.

He moaned, pressing in close, his hands sliding over John's warm skin.

They made out for what felt like a long time, before John slowly drew back. "Mmmm, I could lick that syrup off of your body all day long."

"Okay," he said breathlessly, stroking John's side.

Chuckling, John flicked a tongue at Rodney's lips, pulling away almost before Rodney could register it was there. "Maybe later. Right now, I'm going to take you into the living room so I can arrange you."

Rodney nodded, but shifted forward, trying to re-connect with John's mouth. It tasted so good.

"Ah ah. None of that. Behave, and maybe later I'll put you on your hands and knees and use one of our new pleasure paddles."

"But you taste good," he whined quietly.

"Later. I promise."

He swallowed another whimper, but nodded. He felt the bed shift as John slid off, the sounds of him moving around the room. It took a few moments before John was touching him, helping him off the bed and onto his feet.

He moved easily, letting John guide him, knowing his top would take care of him.

He was led to what he presumed was the living room, and pushed to his knees onto a pillow. John arranged him, spreading his legs wide and locking them in place with a bar. His hands were tugged behind his back and also locked down.

John's hands gentled him, stroked his skin as John shifted his body minutely until finally stepping away.

"I want you to hold this position until I tell you otherwise. You are allowed to shift slightly for comfort, or tell me if something is getting numb or sore. Otherwise, you don't talk, and you don't move."

A shiver of anticipation and arousal rolled through his body. "Yes, sir," he whispered, already feeling his mind slowing.

"Good. Very good. I'll be feeding you and touching you when I feel like it, but for the most part, I just want to look at you right now."

Another shiver and another quietly whispered acknowledgement was John's answer. Rodney took a breath and let it out slowly, letting his muscles relax into the position, letting the restraints hold his limbs.

He listened as John shifted away from him, the soft swish as John settled on the couch. He could feel John's eyes on him, watching him carefully, so carefully.

Rodney licked his lips, tasting the remains of breakfast and John, and smiled gently, letting the memory and the feeling of love and security ease him down.

Light breezes touched and caressed his body, bringing with it the smell of the ocean and the tropics. Every now and then voices would carry on the wind, words indistinct as they traveled the distances between the speaker and the hearer.

He kept his breathing even and regular, his pounding heart slowing as well. He let his mind drift to a place where time and the physical world had no real meaning, to a place where he simply existed.

Here, he was. He had no name, no worries, no cares. He knew the voice and touch of his master and would follow wherever he would lead. Here, he was at peace.

The sudden caress of fingers over his skin wasn't expected. He hadn't heard his master move. But the touch was familiar, loving.

His body shivered, bumps rising on his skin wherever his master touched. He let the sensation buffer him, allowed the arousal to rise easily through his body.

He heard the soft hum of approval, and then silence again.

He drifted, caught in the middle of his master's approval and his arousal, the sensations warming him from the inside out. It was enough, these feelings, to sustain him.

He had no idea how much time had passed when there was another caress, and then something was brushed against his lips.

He opened his mouth instinctively, feeling the press of something on his tongue. His master gently urged him to close his mouth and flavors exploded inside, the taste intense. He moaned quietly, chewing carefully.

"Good boy." It was whispered, a verbal caress across his body.

Pleasure from the praise rose easily now, comforting and sustaining him in ways more fulfilling than food.

The touches and tastes continued throughout the day, time melting into one long stream. He lived for those feelings and sensations, for the praise. It was the only thing that mattered.

Gentle hands were suddenly at his hands, unlocking them and urging him forward, so he was on his hands and knees. He was arranged again, and then one of the soft paddles connected with his bottom.

He moaned as sensations exploded through his body, intense and perfect.

His master didn't let up until Rodney's whole ass was pleasantly tingling, warm and well-loved.

His body was shaking and trembling, his arousal held in check by the ring. He felt so alive like this, every nerve-ending hyper sensitive that even the light breeze pulled a moan of pleasure from his mouth.

A single, slick finger suddenly slipped inside him.

His arms nearly buckled at the sensation, but he held his position, moaning louder as his master touched him deep inside.

The spot inside of him, the tiny gland, was unerringly found. His master pressed against it, rubbed it.

Lights exploded behind his closed eyelids, pleasure erupting along every nerve in his body. So alive. He felt so alive like this, every sensation magnified ten-fold. Even the pain of his trapped cock felt perfect.

He heard a soft chuckle, and knew his master was pleased, that his response made him happy.

Complete. He felt complete, he realized. Complete and content and safe. His master would care for him, would make him feel good. It was enough. It was perfect.

***

Rodney was just amazing.

And beautiful. And perfect. And abso-fucking-lutely amazing.

John's sub had slid so deep in headspace, he was just existing, which was exactly the response he had wanted. Pulling his finger free from Rodney's body, John silently rose and began his pacing again, circling, admiring, occasionally touching. In this position, he could see Rodney's dark red cock hanging heavy between his legs. But he wouldn't be coming yet. John wanted him to wait.

He was panting heavily from John's stimulation, but even that was quickly subsiding, returning once again to the quiet, constant breaths he'd fallen into before.

John hummed a little, knowing his sub would hear it in the quiet of the room, and take it for the praise it was.

Rodney moaned quietly, almost a purr as John's eyes traveled over his sub's body. A light sheen of sweat had broken out along the broad shoulders and down his back as John had massaged Rodney's prostate. The red of his ass was a beautiful compliment to the paleness of his skin.

And what an ass it was. Full and round and perfect. With Rodney on his hands and knees, John could see every inch of it.

Not wanting Rodney to get sick, John picked up another piece of cheese from a tray he had had delivered earlier, pressing it against Rodney's lips.

He opened his mouth immediately—as soon as the cheese touched his lips—but waited once again for John's hand to drift, fingers gently urging him to close his mouth and chew. When Rodney had first done it with the grape, John had been a little surprised. Rodney had always just eaten whatever was given him, but now…now he was waiting for instruction on everything.

It was so fucking perfect. John himself had slipped into a very toppy headspace hours ago. Right now, Rodney was absolutely his.

John was nearly certain that he could walk away and return hours later to find his sub exactly the way he'd left him. His obedience was unquestioning and immediate. It was humbling and empowering at the same time.

He didn't realize how much time had passed, in this quiet, easy place they had fallen into, until there was a soft knock at the door.

John moved silently to the door, opening it to find Peter and Harry on his doorstep.

Smiling, he stepped aside to let them enter. "Don't talk to him or touch him. Right now, he's very deep."

"Did you actually leave here today?" Harry asked quietly glancing around, spotting the various items he and Peter had used the night before still where they'd left them. He was wearing the collar and cuffs in addition to his shorts, but was bare-chested.

"No." John moved back to Rodney, keeping his voice low, tracing his fingers across his sub's back. "Today was about helping him fall. He's been very, very good for me."

Rodney shivered as John's fingers touched him, goose bumps rising on the skin as he moaned quietly, the sound and reaction given up easily.

"We didn't mean to intrude," Peter said, his hands lacing together with his partner's. "I wanted to stop because we hadn't heard from you yet. Did Rodney give you my message?"

"He did, and yes. We need to get out, and Rodney needs to walk a bit. He's been on his knees all day, so I want him to move around. Just let me get him up."

"All day?" Harry sounded surprised. "It's almost four."

John hummed his agreement. "He's incredible."

"I'd be crippled," Peter said quietly, chuckling a little. "I'm too old for that."

"That's one of the reasons I want him to move around a bit. The pillow helps, but if I don't get him up, he'll be in pain tomorrow." John slipped a finger under Rodney's chin, tilting his sub's head up, even though, with the blindfold, Rodney couldn't see him. "I'm taking off the spreader bar, and then I'm going to help you to your feet. When you stand, keep your hands behind your back, and don't speak."

John got a quiet hum and a full-body shiver in response to his words and touch.

"Good boy." John caressed his sub as he worked, touching, reassuring, making sure Rodney knew how much he was loved, cared for.

Peter and Harry were silent, watching as John helped Rodney to his feet. The sounds Rodney made…god, they were perfect. Hums and moans and sighs of contentment. As soon as John had him on his feet, Rodney put his hands behind his back, right wrist clasped with his left hand, feet shoulder-width apart. His body stilled a moment later, breathing evening off.

"Very good." John brushed his lips over Rodney's very briefly, rewarding him for obeying. He moved around his sub and locked his hands in place. Then he grabbed the leash from the couch, and clipped it in place. He glanced at his friends. "We're ready when you are."

It looked like Harry was going to protest or say something, but Peter just squeezed his hand, quieting him. "Dinner? Or did you want to walk around first?"

"Let's head to dinner, just go slow. I'm getting hungry since we've only nibbled a bit here and there, and I want to get some real food into Rodney. If you're up for it, maybe we can take a walk later."

"Sure," Peter said with a nod as he moved, Harry walking easily beside him. "We didn't eat much lunch so we can eat now."

They headed out, taking it slow, not really in a hurry. "So what did you guys do today?"

Peter and Harry exchanged a long look. "Nothing much," Harry finally said slowly, a light blush staining his cheeks.

Chuckling, John grinned at them. "Good. You both needed a little 'nothing much'."

"We did," Peter agreed with a nod and smile toward his partner.

John let his eyes drift to his own partner, his expression softening. "Sometimes we all need it."

Rodney's face—what John could see of it—looked absolutely serene. The lines and tension and stress he normally carried were completely erased. Even how he held his body was different.

Unable to help himself, John let the fingers of his free hand drift over his sub's body. "Rodney mentioned he hasn't really been in the ocean yet, other than a brief interlude. I was thinking of going swimming tomorrow, if you guys would like to join us."

Rodney moaned easily as soon as John's fingers touched him, his body trembling a little.

"We can swim," Peter said with a smile.

"Good. I don't plan on getting up too early, but we'll swing by and pick you up when we get moving, how does that sound?" John let his hand dip lower, brushing over Rodney's still-hard erection.

Whatever Peter said in answer was drowned out by Rodney's loud moan, his sub's knees nearly buckling from the light touch of John's hand.

Stopping, John gave a hard tug to the leash. "I didn't tell you to drop down. Keep walking, Rodney."

He whimpered but obeyed, a little unsteady on his feet. God…to see him react that much just from that small touch…

"Good boy," John praised him, knowing his sub was making the effort and wanting to reward him for it.

Rodney gave him another quiet moan before falling silent again, walking easily a step behind John without wavering. Even blindfolded as he was, he managed to keep the distance constant as if he had some radar or something.

They were connected, their souls very tightly wound together now. John flushed a bit as the thought went through his mind. Where was all this poetic bullshit coming from anyway?

Peter cleared his throat quietly, pulling John's attention back to his two friends. Harry offered a broad smile, while Peter's was a shade more subdued. "We don't have to go to dinner if you don't want to, you know."

"What makes you think we don't want to?" John raised an eyebrow. "Just because my sub is deep in headspace at the moment, doesn't mean I don't want to have dinner with my friends. That's the beauty of a place like this—I can do both at the same time."

"I know. His reactions…seem so personal, though. Intense," Peter said, ending with a shrug. "I'm sure if you don't want us around you'll let us know."

"I will. I know it's weird, but I actually... kind of have a kink for showing him off when he's like this. I can't really explain it, but I like letting people see him, and know they'll never have him. He's beautiful, and he's mine."

Peter snorted and chuckled. "Of that there is no doubt in anyone's mind."

John blushed a little. "I can't help myself."

"It's fine, Johnny," Harry said with a smile.

They made it to the restaurant, and when they got to the table, John guided his sub into a special kind of ergonomic kneeling seat. He didn't want to destroy Rodney's knees completely, so this was a good compromise, keeping him down, but allowing him to shift some of the weight back.

Rodney shifted a few times in the new chair before he stilled, relaxing into the position John had placed him in.

"Very good." John saw Peter and Harry looking curiously at the chair. "It's a variation of those ergonomic office chairs. The resort just modified them a bit so they would be more geared toward this purpose. I saw them the other day, but I hadn't kept Rodney down long enough to think we needed one."

"It is comfortable?" Harry asked, tilting his head to get a better look at it.

John touched Rodney's face. "Tell Harry if this chair is more or less comfortable than kneeling straight on the floor."

It took a long moment before Rodney answered, his voice so quiet John could barely hear the whispered words. "It's…good."

He rewarded his sub again with another brief kiss.

Rodney kissed him back, moaning into John's mouth, but didn't follow as John shifted away. Harry looked at them, a confused expression on his face. "What did he say?"

Chuckling, John kept a hand on his sub, giving him that connection. "He said it was good. If you want to get more out of him, you'll have to wait until tomorrow. He's too far under to really be thinking. Right now, he's just feeling."

"He's…" Harry said, voice trailing off, a thoughtful express replacing the surprise. He turned toward Peter, eyes widening. "Do you think…?"

Peter looked at Rodney closely. "You want to try doing that?"

"At least the kneeling," Harry said immediately. "I don't know if I can stop thinking."

Peter nodded slowly, tapping his lips. "All right. Go find the server, and tell him we'll need one of those contraptions Johnny is using, and a few of the strap things."

Harry was gone even before Peter finished talking.

John grinned at him. "So how is it going? Feeling any better about the whole thing now?"

Peter shrugged. "A little. We talked. We're both going to compromise with things and agree to disagree with a few things for now."

"Good. You guys needed to have that out."

"We did. I just wished it wasn't at your expense."

"I didn't mind. If it helps you guys get through, it was worth it. And sometimes, you need that third opinion. In this case, it worked in your favor that my posting keeps me away a lot. I could see things a bit more clearly than someone who's there every day."

Peter's eyes drifted to Rodney for a brief moment. "Are you sure we're not going to…bother him?"

"Honestly? I don't even know if he knows you're here, or where we are. When he gets this deep, he lets his brain more or less shut down. He needs this sometimes, to counteract the times when it's running a thousand miles per hour."

"He doesn't know…" Peter let his voice trail off. "He trusts you that much?"

Nodding, John smiled at Rodney. "This didn't happen overnight, but we both worked on it. I've made a point of never breaking a promise, whether it's for something good, or punishment for not ceasing or modifying a specific behavior. He knows that no matter what, I'll take care of him, and that gives him the security to just let go."

"And he hasn’t moved a muscle except when you touch him to tell him to do something."

"I told him not to. By controlling his movements, and his actions, I've effectively told him it's okay to let go, and shut down. That anything he needs, I'll take care of, so he doesn't need to worry about it."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Peter shook his head. "I still don't understand a lot of how the two of you are and how you ended up this way, but you're obviously happy, so I really can't say much about it. I guess you did take my words to heart when you came to visit in Vegas that first time."

John nodded. "I did. And I know I'm not perfect and neither is he. We still fight and have all the same issues most couples have. This is just another layer to it."

"But you certainly have a way to handle even that."

"Sometimes. I would never use this to try and force him to do something he doesn't want to do, or keep him from doing something I know he does need to do."

"No?" Peter's eyebrow rose.

"No." John was firm about that. "To do that would betray the trust he's given me. I only have the power over him I do because he chooses to let me have it."

"Don't you want to, though, sometimes?"

John's lips quirked up. "I'm only human. But then I think about what I would lose. Instead, I go about it a different way. I don't make him do something, but I do make him listen to me, and listen to my reasons why or why not in those situations. And we've worked out over time the things he wants me to have the final say over, and the things I don't. The 'don't' category gets a little smaller all the time it seems, but his work will always be his."

Peter shrugged his eyes focusing behind John for a moment as a smile grew on his face. "So, what did they say?" he asked as Harry stepped into John's view.

Harry licked his lips. "He's bringing the stuff you wanted now. He said it will just be a minute."

"Good. Why don't you sit down and relax for a few minutes until he arrives? I can feel you vibrating without even touching you."

Harry looked over at John and Rodney as he sat down. "I just... I really want..."

"I know, but you have to calm down a bit. It's the only way you're going to be comfortable."

Harry took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. I'll try."

"That's all I'm asking," Peter said, resting his hand on Harry's bare arm. "Because once that chair comes, you're not getting up again until I'm finished with dinner."

John watched Harry's breath stutter, and he nodded. "Yes, please."

"So, close your eyes and relax. I'm here, John's here. We're not going anywhere without you."

Harry glanced over at Rodney, and then closed his eyes, visibly relaxing. John gave Peter an encouraging smile.

Peter returned the smile as his hand traveled up to the nape of Harry's neck, gently rubbing the muscles there. "I guess we should figure out what we want for dinner," he said after a few moments, his gaze finally moving from his partner to the menu on the table in front of them.

They chatted for a few minutes, breaking when the wait staff arrived with the chair, to which Peter tied Harry. As an afterthought, he added a blindfold one of the staff had brought as well. Then between them, John and Peter decided to get a variety sampler to share for the table.

"Wings. You should get wings," Harry said, shifting in the chair.

"Not your call. You'll eat what I give you."

"But they were good the other night."

"Doesn't matter." Peter started rubbing the back of Harry's neck again. "It's still not your call."

"But you're getting a sampler platter. You should make sure you get the wings. The honey barbeque sauce on them was amazing."

"Want a gag?" John asked. "You can take it off to feed him later."

"Will it help that much?"

"Well, if he's having trouble letting go, even of this much, it might help."

"Don't need a gag, Johnny. I just need Peter to order the wings. It's very simple."

"You're not in charge, Harry." John shook his head. "If you want to sub, you have to give up some power. You start small, but it doesn't get much smaller than over what and how much you eat."

"I let him tie me to the chair."

"But that's not really giving up much. You still want to dictate the course of the evening from there. You can't have it both ways."

"I can't go anywhere," he said, making a show of tugging at his restraints. "I gave up my ability to get up or feed myself. I should at least be certain I'll like my dinner."

John sighed. "Harry, if you want to really try being a sub, and see what it's like, you have to realize it's about more than mobility. In fact, the mobility parts of it are secondary—they're to help a sub find the place in their own mind where they can let go to some degree."

During John's exchange with Harry, Peter had managed to flag down a server with his request for a gag. He re-appeared silently now, handing it to Peter before sliding away again.

"You always have Rodney restrained, so it is about mobility and taking away his choices."

"Except for his hands behind his back, Rodney isn't restrained right now. He's holding the position I put him in because I told him to hold it. But for him, he needs the bondage to really let him feel free to let go. It makes him feel safe and secure, and is a physical reminder that I'm there, and taking care of him. But in the end, it's about helping him find that headspace, not about tying him up just to do it."

"Open your mouth, Harry," Peter said, a slight edge to his voice.

Harry hesitated, but finally, slowly, parted his lips slightly.

"Wider." Peter's hand squeezed the back of his mouth, the gag held in his free hand.

"Peter..." Harry had to open his mouth to talk.

Peter didn't waste any time, shoving the ball gag into place. He turned Harry's head to buckle it in the back, forgoing the lock for the time being. It wasn't like Harry could get to it anyway.

"Now, you will sit here and listen to us. You will eat what I give you. Do you understand?"

Harry might have talked back, but it was all garbled by the gag. John chuckled. "I don't envy you, my friend. When we were starting out, Rodney had never done anything like this either. He didn't have any concept of it, but at least, almost from the very beginning, he would fall into a light headspace at even the hint of a little domination."

"It's one of the reasons I don't think this is right for us. He's too headstrong for it on a mild day," Peter said, his hand back at the nape of Harry's neck, his thumb stroking skin.

"I don't disagree with you. I think this is good for both of you, to pull you out of your comfortable roles every now and then. You need something like this to help you keep the relationship fresh. But I see it, ultimately, as being something you do more for fun in the bedroom than as a full-time lifestyle."

Peter nodded. "Probably. I don't think either of us wants to do this on a continuous basis—even though I'm sure Harry would argue with me about it now." Harry tried to say something, but the gag didn't allow anything to come through.

John grinned. "No, but this is a great place to learn and experiment a bit. You have resources you won't have at home, and a lot of people you can ask questions of. This is the perfect place to experiment a bit, and then when you get home, it can be you surprising Harry by coming home with a new toy of a type you've found he really likes. Or him surprising you when you get home by already being in a position you prefer, with some of your own favorites laid out and ready to go."

"We used to do that—not with bondage stuff, mind you—but we used to try and surprise each other." Peter was quiet for a moment, his fingers still stroking the skin along Harry's neck. "So…what are your plans for the rest of your vacation? You still have a few days left."

John was satisfied they both had enough to think about right now, and let Peter change the subject. "Pretty much more of the same. We're both enjoying this quite a bit. There is a dom/sub demonstration tomorrow night I was thinking of checking out. My chance to show of Rodney a bit more."

"A demonstration? So you actually read all those flyers you went through last night."

John nodded. "I skimmed them, and then today while I had Rodney under, I pulled out a few to take a look at. It's always interesting to see how other tops and subs interact, since no pair does is exactly the same. There could be some interesting ideas I could try later."

"What do you do when he's like this?" Peter asked suddenly, shifting forward, putting both elbows on the table, his eyebrows drawing together. "It's not like you can have a conversation."

"I find my own headspace. It might sound weird but... it's relaxing. I touch him. I enjoy looking at him. I play with him. There's no pressure, no stress."

"That's it?"

"Like I was telling Harry, it's more of a mindset than anything else. Rodney lets go by subbing. In a way, I let go by topping. I can stop being Colonel Sheppard, with all of the worries and stress that goes with it, and just be John, whose only responsibility is to make his partner feel good."

Peter made a small noise, his eyes a little unfocused as he let John's explanation rattle around in his head.

Leaning back, John gave his friend the space to think about it, letting his fingers drift over Rodney's skin again. His sub shivered and trembled with each and every touch, moaning quietly in pleasure and arousal.

"Mmmm, you're very sexy like this," John whispered softly. "It makes me want to do wicked things to you."

Rodney moaned louder, a shudder rolling through his body in response.

Grinning to himself, John continued to let his fingers roam. As soon as he touched one of Rodney's hot-spots, the sounds he got were just amazing. His sub's breath would catch and his entire body would shake and tremble just before he moaned, the pleasure evident to everyone in the restaurant.

"You're doing so good, Rodney. Just beautiful, the way you pant and moan for me."

Every now and then—like when John would start to play with Rodney's nipples—John would get a moaning whimper as he pushed Rodney into his "hurts so good" area, just at the edge of too much.

As soon as he knew he was hitting that stage, he'd back off, moving to another area. He wanted his sub right on that fine line, but he wasn't ready for him to cross it yet.

The waiter arrived a few moments later, placing a huge platter in the middle of the table filled with finger foods which looked and smelled amazing.

Selecting a savory-looking morsel, John popped it into his mouth. The flavor was amazing, and it pulled a startled moan out of him.

Peter chuckled. "That good, huh?"

"Oh god..." John picked up another one and held it up to Rodney's lips. "You have to try this. It's like sex on your tongue. Really good sex."

Rodney immediately opened his mouth as soon as the food touched his lips, waiting for John to place it on his tongue and indicate he should close his mouth. The pleased moan John got a few seconds later as he started chewing was exactly what he was looking for.

Peter was eyeing Harry, and finally reached around to pull off the gag so he could feed his partner.

"I want whatever John ate," Harry said as soon as the gag was off.

Rolling his eyes, Peter picked up the same little tidbit John had tried and pressed it to Harry's lips.

Harry opened his mouth a few seconds later, letting Peter feed him—but nearly taking off his fingers in his rush to try it. He hummed a moment later. "That's good. More?"

"When I'm ready." Peter selected a piece for himself, chewing slowly.

"But I'm hungry."

"And you'll get fed, but on my schedule. You always eat too fast. Might as well take this opportunity to make you slow down a bit."

Harry's mouth settled into a thin line, but he didn't argue—for once. He did pull at the restraints, though, tugging and shifting in the chair.

John noticed Peter watching him, and every time he fed Rodney, Harry got a piece as well. Since Rodney did the same thing—eating too fast when left to his own devices—it made sense, and John gave his friend an encouraging smile.

Peter sighed quietly, offering a shrug. "So you mentioned swimming before. You have something in mind?"

"Not really." John shrugged. "I was just thinking it was a shame to be at the beach, and Rodney not really get the chance to swim. He's not a big sports guy, but he does like to get out there and float and splash around sometimes."

Peter chuckled, chewing a bite of the spiced chicken. "Well, floating doesn't require too much effort."

"Exactly. He can float and relax, and I can swim some laps or something."

"Yeah, Harry's not much of a swimmer."

"We can all just enjoy the cool water, and not do anything too athletic."

"That sounds good," Peter said with a nod. "I'll let you know for sure tomorrow morning just in case our plans change."

"Perfect." John ate another bite of food, and fed Rodney.

Peter followed suit, his fingers lingering on Harry's lips as he chewed. Rodney was humming in contentment and appreciation, John getting a slightly different sound each time he fed him another bite.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, John glanced back over at Peter. "After dinner, would you be interested in walking around a bit, maybe get some ice cream?"

Peter glanced at Harry, narrowing his eyes a little. "Sure," he said after a minute. "We can do that. It'll be good to walk around a bit."

"Good. I want Rodney to get a bit more exercise in before I bring him home for the night."

"Before you start in on the other part of his exercise program." The corner of Peter's mouth crooked up in a smile.

Laughing, John shrugged. "What can I say? I like to make sure my geek is fit."

"It certainly looks like you've been doing something right since we first met him," Peter said, glancing at Rodney's body.

"Mmmm, I can't take credit for all of it. He's been training a bit with the rest of our team, and we do field work which requires running sometimes. I just make sure he eats right and gets enough rest."

"And he said he started running with you a little."

"Yeah, Ronon and I go every morning, and he's started joining us about once a week."

"He complain about it?"

"Of course. This is Rodney we're talking about. I worry when he stops complaining, since that usually means there's something seriously wrong. He has this weird thing where he complains to anyone who will listen about minor things like a splinter, but he won't say a word if there's something major wrong."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why does he do that?"

"I have no idea. I'd guess it's because as a kid, I get the feeling it wasn't too happy of a household. Minor things were enough to get him some actual attention if he was vocal about it, but major things probably brought wrath down on him, so it was in his best interests to keep it as quiet as possible."

"So…he was seriously injured and they didn't want to hear about it?"

John ran a hand down his sub's arm. "I got the impression his parents were... worse than mine, which is saying a lot. It probably doesn't help that he is a real genius, and raising a child like that is already hard."

Rodney moaned pleasurably as John's stroked his skin, completely oblivious to their conversation. "That's just…neglect at the very low end of it. Abuse if you get right down to it," Peter said, feeding Harry another bite.

"I know. And it didn't get much better," John said quietly. "When we started dating, I found out a little about his past history. I think he was taken advantage of more than once. He didn't even really understand the difference between making love and quickie sex."

"And he's a genius?"

John nodded, smiling. "He is the very definition of book smart but not street smart. He was building nuclear bombs in sixth grade—non-working models, of course—but he has no real idea of how to interact with most people. Once you realize that, and that most of the time he isn't trying to be offensive, you realize just how much of a sense of humor he has, and a big heart. You just have to be willing to get past the defensive exterior to see it."

"So, socially retarded, but mentally a genius." Peter shrugged. "Sounds about right. Between his parents and his other…issues, his attitude is probably a defense mechanism."

John nodded. "That's about it. I'm very lucky he wasn't completely destroyed along the way. It speaks to how stubborn he is, and how much he had to develop a thick skin that he's survived and thrived."

"And academia isn't exactly an easy place to be either. I think some of those doctors are even more cut-throat than the financial types."

Laughing, John gave his lover a fond look. "Believe it. The military contingent on our base is pretty small—we're there for protection, but it's a civilian-run operation, and its goals are mostly scientific based. Some of the best and the brightest Earth has to offer are stationed there, and it's...interesting to see how they interact sometimes."

"Interesting? Let me guess, you're pulling them away from each other as they try to poke the other's eyes out with a pencil."

"They're a lot more sophisticated than that. When they want to get revenge for something, they do things like turn off the hot water to someone's room, or make their lights flicker, or do something to their computer. Fortunately, they stick to pretty mild stuff. I'm not sure what I would do it they started trying to blow each other up or something."

Peter chuckled and shook his head, feeding Harry another bite. His partner had finally settled down some, listening to the conversation and munching at the bites Peter gave him. He was still tugging at the restraints, but it wasn't as much as before. "Don't put it past them, John. If it means enough, I'm sure they'll try that, too."

"Oh, I know. The senior staff all sat down and drafted up a set of rules once we realized there was no way to really stop it. If we tried, we would just drive it underground and someone would get hurt. Most of the scientists agree with what we came up with, so when the odd incident occurs that someone is crossing the line, they're usually ratted out before it gets too serious."

"And when it's Rodney doing the bomb planting?"

"He considers that to be inelegant and uncreative. When he decides to get revenge on someone, he's a lot more diabolical about it. Since he helped draft the rules, he never breaks them, but he's the King Geek in a base of geeks, so he finds new and interesting ways to make stupid people go away."

Peter laughed, giving Harry the last bite of their shared platter. "I can imagine."

Grinning, John pressed a kiss to the side of Rodney's head. "I think my favorite was when he somehow managed to turn Kavanaugh bright green. The man is the most irritating person you will ever meet. He's intelligent, but arrogant, and unwilling to admit when he's wrong—which is often. Anyway, he and Rodney butt heads a lot, and finally Kavanaugh spat out that Rodney was just green with envy over his 'superior mind.' The next day, Kavanaugh is walking around the base a shade of neon green I've never seen outside of Vegas and he was furious. He blames Rodney, but there was never any trace of how it was done or who did it. It was beautiful. That color didn't completely fade for a good month."

"Green?" Peter's eyes were wide, the surprise clear on his face. "How? Okay…maybe I don't want to know and I want to make sure I stay on his good side. So, you mentioned ice cream."

Laughing, John stood up, guiding Rodney along with him. "I have no idea how it was done, although to be honest I didn't look all that hard. It was hilarious, and the med staff certified that whatever it was, it was non-toxic. So he was just bright green for a while."

Peter shook his head, unhooking Harry from the chair, but keeping his hands secured behind his back. "Do you think they have a leash?" he asked, shifting the tethers in his hands.

"Of course. Want me to get you one?"

"Ah…sure. Will Rodney be okay?"

"He'll come with me. It's not a problem." Smiling, John gave a tug to the leash, and put a hand on Rodney's elbow to guide him between the tables.

His sub moved easily with John, his steps never faltering even though they weaved through the tables and patrons.

At the front, John arranged for the leash, and waited for Peter and Harry.

It looked like they were talking—quietly and rapidly—as they stood at the table. John couldn't tell if Harry was happy or not. He wanted to sigh. Peter was trying exactly what he wanted and now it seemed like he was giving him a hard time about it.

But at least Harry had Peter's full and undivided attention. John had a feeling that had really been the goal all along.

Rodney was silent as he stood at John's side, body relaxed and stress-free. He breathed easily, regularly—maybe even a little slower than normal. Huh. Maybe it was just mind over matter sometimes.

The rest of the evening passed quietly. They wandered around as a group, and although Harry had a few protests, he actually seemed to have fallen a little into headspace at some point.

Rodney, though, was perfect. It was like they were linked, moving in synch with one another, moving so easily together.

When they parted ways, Peter promising to stop by for swimming the following day, John was surprised by how tired he was. He forgot, sometimes, how exhausting being a full-time top could be.

And Rodney…Rodney was lost in his own world.

Leading his sub into the bathroom, John made sure he took care of nature, and then unhooked his hands and switched out the blindfold for a water-proof version. After a quick shower, he led the other man to the bed.

Rodney had hummed and moaned in pleasure and contentment through the entire shower, reacting just as beautifully now as he had all day long.

Once they were in bed, John wrapped his arms around his lover, pulling him close. "I love you."

His lover hummed in some sort of response as he settled into John, their bodies molding together.

Perfect. It was just...perfect.

***

Rodney wasn't sure when he fell asleep or woke up. Everything from breakfast on yesterday—he thought it was yesterday—was a bit…fuzzy.

He sighed contentedly, wrapped in his master's arms. He could stay like this forever and be perfectly happy.

"Mmmmm." John made his little mostly-asleep but starting to wake up noises.

Rodney hummed, loving the vibration of John's voice when they were pressed this close.

A nose nuzzled along his neck. He moaned at the sensation, shifting slightly to let John have more room. It felt…amazing.

John hummed a little, and did a bit more serious nuzzling.

Rodney trembled as John's hands got into the picture as well, skimming along his skin and igniting every nerve. He moaned easily, the sounds dropping from his mouth as easily as a breath.

And then the lips joined in as well.

Rodney opened up for John, moaning into his mouth, not caring about morning breath or anything else. This…this was heaven.

"Mmmmm." John's tongue was lazy, but thorough. He slowly mapped the inside of Rodney's mouth, not leaving any inch unexplored.

He was hard and aroused and everything seemed so clear and intense. It was almost too much, too sharp, but at the same time he never wanted it to end.

When John finally broke their mouths apart, he didn't move far. Blinking, his eyes were bright and happy. "Morning."

Rodney blinked a few times, a smile growing on his lips.

John's lips curved in an answering expression, and he brushed their mouths together again very lightly. "I love you."

He hummed in response, words and phrases still beyond him. The smile, though, was not going to go anywhere for a long time.

John's chuckle was a soft rumble against Rodney's body.

Rodney let his eyes drift along John's face, traveling over the lines—some newer than others—and all of his features, drinking him in. His master let him, smiling easily at him, not shifting under the intense scrutiny.

In fact, one of his hands drifted to Rodney's face, cupping it in what could only be described as a tender movement, giving them another physical connection.

He made some kind of half purr, half moan, his eyes drifting closed as he leaned into his master's hand, into his touch.

There was another rumble, and a kiss to the tip of his nose.

He slowly opened his eyes again, meeting's his master's eyes, seeing the love and the affection there. It warmed him, making everything just seem that much better.

With another smile, John scooted, and started kissing his way down Rodney's chest.

As soon as John's lips touched his skin, Rodney felt his body reacting, shivering and trembling with arousal and pleasure. He moaned easily, wantonly, giving up his body for his master. He never wanted these feelings, these sensations, to end.

And his master knew just how to make it perfect, almost too much, but never crossing the line. He mouthed his way in a random fashion, not staying in any one spot for long as he gradually made his way lower.

He made his body sing, the words and notes known instinctively by his muscles and skin and being.

When John finally reached Rodney's groin, he looked up, a possessive gleam in his eyes. "Mine." It was all the warning Rodney had before he was swallowed down, completely.

He couldn't help but react, his back arching coming off the bed as John's mouth—so perfect and warm and wet—surrounded him. He howled—he knew that, but didn't care—the sound eventually ending with a continuous whimpering sob. His body was trembling so hard but it felt so good.

The ring was still in place, still keeping him from coming. He felt John playing with it as his tongue did wicked things.

Everything revolved around John and how he played his body. He was like a concert pianist at his height, using his entire body, his entire being to bring the music forth.

Seemingly without any break in the movement, John slipped off, bringing the ring with him, and then went right back down on Rodney, humming hard.

There were lights and white noise and explosions through his mind and body as his arousal, held captive for days, was finally released. It shook his body and curled his toes and whited out his senses as the pressure released in one fell swoop.

He came back to reality with a quiet moan, his body still supersensitive but completely relaxed. His master was stroking his body, hands igniting the nerves once again, but there was no way he'd be coming again anytime soon. Limp and sated, he blinked up at his master, loving the way the light caught his face and his intense expression.

As soon as John saw he was awake once again, he gently turned him over onto an awaiting pillow. Rodney's body was unresisting as John shifted and settled him with his ass in the air, his legs spread wide.

Fingers were inside him moments later, slick fingers working him open, spreading the lube. As relaxed as he was right now, John could probably just push right in without any real effort—which his master seemed to figure out about two seconds after his random thought. John growled quietly as he pulled his fingers free, moving and shifting on the bed to line himself up.

One long, hard thrust and John was buried in him—deep, so deep. Rodney groaned as they joined together, feeling his master's cock all the way up in his throat. It could not get any better than this.

"Mine. Always mine." John thrust once, and then was still again.

Rodney groaned, pinned to the bed as if tied with restraints. He wouldn't leave this place, this perfect place, without a fight.

With every slow thrust, John repeated the claim, holding himself still after each one to let both sink in, become a part of Rodney so deeply ingrained, he no longer knew where they each ended and began.

He'd gotten hard sometime in the middle of it, his arousal burning under his skin. But it felt so good.

Finally, with a shudder, John's voice and body started to move faster, harder. And then the rush of heat, deep inside.

Rodney moaned as John collapsed on top of him, covering his body with his own. Owned. Claimed. John's. Perfect.

"Mmmmmmmmmm."

Rodney had to agree with every one of those purred and content syllables.

A sloppy kiss was pressed to the back of his neck.

He drifted, in and out of sated slumber. With John still inside of him and covering him, he felt so safe, so content. He'd feel the soft press of lips against his shoulder and his neck; the gentle slide of fingers against his arms and wrist before John tangled their fingers together.

From the even breathing, and the complete lack of tension in his lover's frame, he knew he had done well—John was drifting too, half-asleep and sated.

With a long breath, he let go again knowing John would wake him and take care of him when the time came.

He didn't know how long they stayed like that when the feel of John pulling out of him got his attention.

He moaned, not wanting to lose the connection, the feeling.

"Shhh. I need to use the facilities. I'll be right back. How's your bladder doing?"

Bladder. He opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he considered John's question.

His top's lips were quirked in amusement. "Bathroom?"

There was a pressure…which, after careful consideration, he realized the sensations coalesced into something other than desire. He glanced up, meeting John's gaze, nodding slightly. Yes. He had to go.

Laughing softly, his top held out a hand, helping him to his feet. As a reward, he was given a soft kiss. "God, I love you so much."

Rodney smiled broadly, swaying slightly on his feet as John led him into the bathroom. He could feel the trickle of semen as it dripped down his thighs. He liked to hear John's laugh.

His master took care of both of them, and got them both cleaned up, and then led Rodney out into the living room. He was pushed back to his knees on his pillow from yesterday, while John grabbed the phone and ordered breakfast.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Rodney closed his eyes, letting John's voice and the peace of the cabin, and his position settle him. It was so easy like this. Effortless.

He heard the phone being put away, and the sound of John moving around him, with occasional wisps of air when he got close. Or, better yet, caresses.

Then, for a long while there was nothing. Just the ocean outside and the breeze through the trees, until something cold and hard was slid along his length, tightening down. He moaned, realizing it was his ring.

"Good boy."

Pleasure from the praise warmed him and he hummed quietly, contentedly.

Not long after that, there was the sound of someone at the door, and then food, pressed softly to his lips.

He ate, the sweet-tart taste of the fruit bursting inside of his mouth. Toast and eggs alternated, cooked perfectly, tasting so amazing that he hummed and moaned in pleasure.

"Last bite."

He opened his mouth eagerly, letting John slide it in. He chewed carefully, slowly, savoring the taste.

Fingers ran through his hair, massaging a bit.

Humming, he smiled as he swallowed the rest of his breakfast.

"I'd like to take you swimming today, but this evening is a dom/sub party of sorts, where I want to show you off. Tell me honestly, if I bring you up enough to make swimming safe, will you be able to fall back down to this place tonight?"

Rodney nodded immediately, without hesitation. Anything John wanted.

"Very good." His ring gave a brief little buzz of approval.

He moaned easily, his body trembling from the sensation. Vaguely he realized he heard a knock, but it didn't matter. John would take care of it.

He heard his top walk away, and the sound of voices approaching.

They were familiar, soft, comfortable. He hummed, letting his mind drift as he settled in a little deeper. Safe. He was safe and loved and cared for here.

Fingers curved around his chin, tilting his head up. "Rodney, buddy, open your eyes and look at me."

He obeyed, his lids opening slowly. He blinked a few times, his eyes finally focusing on his master's face.

"Very good." John smiled. "Now, I need you to come up for me. I'll bring you back down all the way again tonight, but I want to take you swimming right now, and it's too dangerous to do that with you this deep in headspace."

Rodney blinked a few more times, the words slowly processing through his mind. Up. Swimming.

John's thumb caressed the side of his jaw. "Start at ten, and count backward for me."

Ten.

Rodney considered the word for a long moment, blinking a few more times before he hummed to himself when the word 'nine' floated into his mind.

"Out loud for me, buddy."

Out loud? Oh. His lips moved, mouthing the word ten, but no sound came out. He blinked twice more before clearing his throat, trying again. "Ten," he whispered, pausing only long enough for the next one to surface again. "Nine."

"Very good." John's smile was encouraging, and Rodney got another soft caress in reward.

He hummed, his eyes sliding closed as the sensation washed over him.

"Ah ah, keep counting."

"Ten…" he whispered, starting again. He licked his lips. "Nine." He could nearly picture the next one, all curves and… "Eight."

"There you go. Very good, Rodney. Keep going."

Sharp edges and the beauty of a prime number. A Mersenne prime. A double Mersenne prime. "Seven."

"I always liked that number." John's mouth curved, and Rodney knew his top was thinking along the same lines he was. "What comes after that?"

The next was perfect. A unitary perfect number, a harmonic divisor number, and a highly composite number. "Six."

"Almost half-way there, buddy."

The math was beautiful, just like John. "The third prime," he whispered. "Five. The first safe prime."

"That it is. Numbers are awesome, aren't they? What comes after five?"

"Four. The smallest composite number." They were coming faster, easier.

"Almost there. Just a few more to go."

"Three," he said, licking his lips. "Three is the first odd prime, and the second smallest prime. It is the first Fermat prime and the first Mersenne prime, and the first lucky prime. But it's also the second Sophie Germain prime, the second Mersenne prime exponent, the second factorial prime, the second Lucas prime, and the second Stern prime."

John's chuckle was soft, velvety over Rodney's skin.

Rodney smiled, shivering a little as the sound drifted over him. "Two…two has many properties in mathematics. An integer is called even if it is divisible by two. For integers written in a numeral system based on an even number, such as decimal and hexadecimal, divisibility by two is easily tested by merely looking at the one's place digit. Two is also the smallest and the first prime number, and the only even one—for this reason it is sometimes called 'the oddest prime'. It is an Eisenstein prime with no imaginary part and real part of the form 3n − 1. It is also a Stern prime, a Pell number, and a Markov number, appearing in infinitely many solutions to the Markov Diophantine equation involving odd-indexed Pell numbers."

"Two is a perfect number." John's thumb moved again. "Me and you."

"And then there's one…where you're the only one who matters to me." He paused, smiling softly. "Hi."

Leaning in, John brushed their lips together briefly. "Hi."

He hummed, licking his lips as John pulled away. He was still so loose and pliant, stress-less.

His top was smiling. "Good. Very good. I think you're up enough for it not to be dangerous, but I still want you to stay close to me."

"No place I'd rather be."

"That works out, since there's no place else I'd rather have you." John's eyes roamed his body. "I don't think you're wearing anything that can't get wet."

Rodney smiled again, opening his legs a little wider so John could see more. "I thought you liked me wet. Wet and slippery."

From the sharp intake of air, and the way John's groin, which was close, twitched slightly, he knew his top liked the view. "Very, very much so."

"Makes it so much easier for you to slide right in."

John's breath hitched, and he licked his lips. "You are evil."

"But you love it," he said, his voice edging down into low and dirty.

"Oh, yes."

Rodney shifted on his knees, feeling the slight twinge from a recent fucking. "You can slick me up and slide in now. I know you want to."

Someone cleared their throat from somewhere else in the room. "Now I know why you keep him so far in that 'headspace'. When you let him up for air, the two of you tempt each other too much."

Rodney hummed, shifting forward onto his hands and knees to crawl closer to John. "And you have an audience today," he said, pitching his voice even lower and dirtier.

John was panting softly, and the bulge at his pants was growing. "We'll have an audience tonight. I'm going to show you off. Maybe set off another orgy. I might even fuck you there, make them all pant and moan as they watch."

"Why wait?" he asked, his hands wrapping around John's ankles before sliding up his legs.

"Because we're... we're going swimming. With Peter and Harry." But John didn't pull away or stop him.

"They can wait," Rodney said, mouthing the fabric around John's erection. His hands held the back of John's thighs, holding him in place.

John's hands twined into Rodney's hair. "I... I think..."

"Mmm?" he hummed, leaning back to readjust his aim. He centered himself and bit down gently, knowing the fabric would dull the sharp edge of his teeth.

"Oh fuck..." Looking up his top's body, Rodney saw that John's head had fallen back, and he was breathing hard.

Rodney chuckled. "That's what I had in mind."

"Little... little horny this morning, eh?"

"Want to be fucked."

"Oh god."

"You could probably just slick yourself up and slide in. Would feel so good," he whispered. "Would make you feel good."

"You could... you could ride me..."

"I could," he said with a purr. "Would you like that?"

"Would have to be... insane...not to."

Rodney chuckled low and dirty, slowly rising to his feet. "I can get the lube if you want to get comfortable."

Eyes blown out with arousal, John sank down onto the couch behind him.

He moved slowly, feeling John's gaze on him as he walked away. The lube was on the bedside table. He grabbed it, eyes sliding around the room. He had an idea, but he wasn't sure John would go for it. He moved to the closet, pulling out a collar and a snap clip.

By the time he moved back to the living room, John was naked and sprawled on the couch, eyes focusing on Rodney as soon as he stepped in the room.

Peter and Harry had disappeared, so they were either in another room, or would meet up with them later. John was panting, stroking himself slowly.

Rodney licked his lips as he strode to John, kneeling in front of the couch. "Do you trust me?"

"Always."

"Can I…" he licked his lips again, holding up the collar for John to see. "I want to put this on you."

John's eyes went even darker, and his head fell back against the couch as he moaned his permission.

Rodney scrambled to his feet, straddling John's legs as he quickly and carefully fastened the collar in place. He didn't lock it; he couldn't do that to John. He stroked his fingers along his master's jaw. "Thank you."

John's breath hitched. His cock was already leaking a little at the tip, and he arched into Rodney's touch.

"Do you want to fuck me?"

In response, John's hips stuttered up. "Rodney, please, yes, oh god, want to be inside you..."

Rodney grabbed the lube from the cushion beside John, snapping open the top. He shifted to make sure he could reach his master's cock without trouble. After squeezing out a good amount, he wrapped his hand around John, coating and stroking him.

John's head had fallen back again, exposing the lean line of his throat and showing off the collar Rodney had put on him.

"Beautiful," he whispered, stroking him a few more times before he shifted once again, centering himself over John. He lowered himself slowly, feeling the stretch and burn, groaning as he settled onto his master.

"Oh fuck..." John moaned.

Rodney wiped the excess lube onto his leg before reaching for John's hands, putting them on his ass and leaning forward. He grabbed the snap clip and attached it to the ring on his collar and then snapped the other end on John's collar, linking them together, lips barely an inch away.

Eyes wide and dark and aroused, John squeezed and closed the distance, letting Rodney taste his need.

He groaned into the kiss, hands groping and stroking. He wanted it rough, wanted to feel it, didn't want to be able to escape.

John met him, thrust for thrust, giving back as good as he was getting.

Even if they pulled away, the clip stopped them, kept them close, kept them locked together. It was rough and brutal and perfect.

One of John's hands came around, circling Rodney's erection, jerking in time to their movements even as the ring started buzzing again.

He groaned into John's mouth, fingers scraping along his master's back. He was trying to fuck himself, shifting up and down on John's cock. It was hard to get any kind of rhythm but it still felt so good.

Breaking their lips a millimeter apart, John groaned. "Come... going to come... want to feel you first..."

He nodded, panting into John's mouth for a few seconds until their lips closed over each other again. Rodney could feel the ring loosening, feel his master's hand rough and perfect on his cock. It only took another two strokes before he climaxed, the shudders of pleasure rolling through his body.

John cried out as Rodney contracted around his top, and the rush of warmth was filling him even before his own orgasm subsided.

Rodney collapsed against John, limp and sated, head falling to his master's shoulder—as far as he could go with the two collars connected.

"Mmmmm."

He hummed in agreement, his heart starting to slow once again.

John's hands had come to rest in the small of Rodney's back, and he could feel his top's fingers still twitching a bit from time to time.

He let out a long breath, pressing a kiss to the skin just above the collar.

"Love you."

"Mmm…love you," he whispered. "Was okay?"

"Oh yeah." John's body was loose and pliant underneath him, his voice laced with satisfaction.

"Good." Rodney shifted slightly, managing to wrap his arms around John's back. "Think we scared Harry and Peter away."

The skin under Rodney's cheek got a bit warm. "I sort of forgot about them."

"So I didn't imagine them."

"They were here. I wonder where they went."

"Don't know," Rodney said quietly, thoughtfully.

His top chuckled. "And we're going swimming. In a minute we'll get up and get cleaned up. If they aren't still here, I'm sure they left a note."

"Probably," Rodney said, not wanting to move, but also realizing he was in a weird position that was straining his back a little. "Might have scarred them for life."

"Maybe we gave them some pointers."

"Hmm…maybe. Was…was yesterday—if that's actually when it was—okay for you?"

"It was awesome. How about you?"

Rodney closed his eyes, settling closer to John. "It was…hard to describe, really. Amazing and freeing and…just perfect. You could have probably bent me in some strange position, tied me there, and left me and I wouldn't have cared.

"Mmm, I'll keep that in mind. I'm going to ease you down again tonight."

"Good…" he hummed. "I liked it…made me horny, too."

This time the laughter was stronger. "I noticed. That was fucking amazing."

Rodney snorted. "I didn't see you complaining."

"Hell, no. No complaints here."

"Good, then. Especially seeing that your cock is still in my ass."

John shifted, and Rodney could feel the movements inside him, even though his top was soft.

He hummed, tightening his arms around John. This was nice.

"Mmm, as comfortable as this is now, if we don't move soon, it's going to hurt later."

"I know," he sighed. His back was already complaining a little. It still didn't mean he wanted to move.

John's lips brushed against his skin. "We'll go swimming and tonight we'll set off another orgy."

He hummed again in contentment, wanting to stay this close to John for the rest of their vacation.

Finally, with a soft puff of air, John reached between them to unhook the connection.

"Want me to take off the collar?" Rodney said with a quiet sigh.

"Hmmm, I don't know. I kind of like having that connection to you."

Something churned in Rodney's stomach and he shook his head. No. John shouldn't be outside with a collar. "Maybe we can use the wrist cuff again, if you wanted."

His top looked at him closely, then nodded. "We'll do that. Why don't you take this off of me?"

Rodney nodded, shifting so he could get to it. He gently moved John's head so he could unbuckle it, tugging it free a moment later. Leaning forward, he kissed the leather-warmed skin.

"Mmmm, keep that up and we won't get out of here."

"Sorry," Rodney said, a blush warming his cheeks. "I just had to."

John's smile was soft and affectionate. "I wasn't complaining, just pointing out the facts."

"I'm not going to complain if you want to spend the day touching and ravishing me," he said, leaning back once again, his eyes fixed on the skin where his thumb was rubbing gently.

"Hmmm, I thought that was what I did yesterday."

Rodney nodded. "Probably. Like I said, I wouldn't object so telling me if I keep doing things like this," he said, pausing to lean forward and kiss the skin he'd been stroking, "means we don't leave the cabin, is not exactly a deterrent."

John's breath hitched a little.

Rodney pressed a kiss to the other side—no more than the soft press of lips and breath—the skin he'd been caressing.

"You might be convincing me to stay here?"

"Only might?" Rodney turned his head so he could duck under John's chin, sucking lightly on his Adam's apple.

He could feel the pulse starting to pick up again. "Maybe I'll find the strength to resist your manly charms."

"Think you can?" he murmured, kissing a line up toward John's right ear.

"I don't know. You're very persuasive."

"Mmm. I'll keep that in mind." He shifted again, sucking lightly on John's earlobe. He could feel John's full-body shiver and hear the soft whine that came from his throat.

Rodney chuckled softly, shifting to the spot just behind John's ear. He licked and nibbled there, loving the taste of his master's skin.

"Evil." John's voice had dropped into a husky whisper.

"So make me stop."

"Maybe I don't really want you to."

"Mmm," Rodney hummed, dipping his tongue into John's ear. "Maybe."

John's breath hitched again, his body starting to respond, slowly, beneath Rodney.

Rodney shifted to John's other side where he started with light kisses.

"Rodney...."

He hummed, pressing kisses to the spot just under John's earlobe.

"God... love you so much..."

Rodney hummed again, his tongue tracing the edge of John's ear before capturing the lobe between his lips.

"Don't know if... if I can get hard again... this fast... but god do I want to..."

"Don't have to," he whispered. John had long since slid out from his ass, but Rodney didn't care. He could still feel the semen dripping out of him, drops trailing down toward John's thighs.

"Want to give you everything."

"You have." He pressed kisses along John's collarbone, licking the small depression between the two.

"Want to give you more."

Rodney lifted his head, looking John in the eyes, loving the arousal he saw, loving the kiss-reddened lips. "I just want you."

"You've had me since you told me to imagine where we are in the solar system."

He rolled his eyes and snorted. "Took you long enough to figure it out."

One of John's eyebrows went up. "If I recall correctly, I was the one who chased you."

"And? It took a crazy alien with a crush on my ass for you to figure it out."

"But I still figured it out first."

"You were straight!"

"No, I wasn't." John grinned at him.

"Okay…well, then you were so far in the closet not even the skeletons knew you were there."

"I still figured it out first." Rodney could feel the shivers of laughter his lover was trying hard to hold back.

Rodney scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Go ahead and laugh."

John's hands skimmed over his body, moving to cup Rodney's face. "Don't get mad because I'm teasing you. I love you, you love me. Does it really matter who went after who?"

"I'm not mad and you're the one who brought it up, you know," Rodney sniffed, leaning back into his lover's body. "And if you wanted me out of headspace, you managed it quite well. But you are still an idiot sometimes."

Lips skimmed over his skin. "Why don't we go get cleaned up and swim? We can have a nice day, and tonight, I'll help you slip back into headspace, and show you off."

"Mmmm…sounds like a plan."

John pulled him in for a quick kiss before easing them both up off the couch. Rodney twisted a little to try and see how bad the drippage was. It felt quite…wet.

"Don't do that. It makes you look weird." John caught his arm and pulled him straight again. "Come with me, and I'll get you cleaned up."

"I'm still dripping. How hard did you come?"

"Pretty hard. You were so fucking sexy."

Rodney twisted again, this time the other way. "The amount of spunk dripping out of me is pretty impressive."

John started walking toward the bathroom, pulling Rodney with him. "Thank you. It was because you were doing that sex kitten thing. That drives me wild."

"I'll keep that in mind the next time you pull me out of a really, really good headspace." Rodney rolled his eyes, trying not to shift as he felt a trail of semen headed down toward his knee.

Stopping, John cupped his face again, kissing him softly. "I'd never had you down that deep, for that long before. I promise, we'll build up to longer stretches like that, as I get more comfortable with it, okay?"

"Oh," Rodney said, pulling back, eyes a little wide. "That wasn't a complaint. Just kind of a note to self to remember to do the sex kitten thing the next time, too."

"Okay." John smiled. "And for the record, the sex kitten thing is always hot. Like, smoking, forget my own name hot. I like it when you pull it out, especially since I don't see it often. It makes it even better when I do."

"Mmm," Rodney hummed, pressing a kiss to John's lips. "Then I have to remember not to overuse it."

John did a little humming of his own.

It was John who finally untangled them a few moments later, tugging Rodney toward the bathroom again.

It didn't take them too long to take care of business, and for John to get them both presentable again. The last thing he did before they wandered back out was to push a small plug into Rodney's body.

"Think Peter and Harry got started without us?" Rodney asked quietly, moaning as John tightened down the ring as well.

"Maybe. I'll see if they left us a note. Are you hungry? I think there's a little food left."

"I could eat a horse, I think," Rodney commented as they headed into the kitchen.

"Get comfortable in your spot, and I'll bring some food to you."

"Yes, sir," he said with a small wry smile as he turned to the living room. He pushed the pillow with his feet closer to the couch and then settled down on it, his body easily falling into position.

John wasn't far behind him, and settled close, immediately feeding Rodney the first bite. Like all the meals they shared since they had arrived on vacation, John fed him slowly, letting him savor each bite, and finished it off with a last bite of something sweet.

It was certainly going to be a wake-up call when they went back to Atlantis.

Deciding not to let himself dwell on it, Rodney watched as John retrieved a note presumably left by Harry and Peter. "They say they'll meet us at the swimming area of the beach. Let me put on my swim trunks, and we can head out."

"Mmm…okay," Rodney said, smiling up at John. "No Speedo today?"

Eyes sparkling, John raised an eyebrow. "I could do that."

"And did you still want the wrist cuff? You might have to dig for something that can go in the water, though."

"I'll be right back." John disappeared into the bedroom. He came out a few minutes later in a bright green Speedo he had dug up from who knows where, a rubber cuff and nylon leash dangling from his hand.

His eyebrows drew together. Shouldn't he have a tether with locks instead? Rodney shrugged to himself. John would do whatever he wanted.

Coming closer, he gave Rodney the cuff, and held out a wrist. "Put this on for me. And yes, I can read you well enough to know what you think about this leash. But it's water-proof, and everything else isn't. So this way, I can keep us hooked together the entire time. I don't want to let you get far even in the water."

"But it only has one ring on it," Rodney said, even as he obeyed, securing the cuff around John's wrist.

"There are quite a few free-floating fasteners around the suite. I plan to grab one of those and attach it to the other end."

"Those don't lock."

"No, but they do connect us together."

"I know, but…" Rodney sighed. He didn't want to argue with John about this, but he wasn't sure why he was whining about it either.

John's fingers wrapped around his chin again, forcing him to look his top in the eye. "You have to talk to me, Rodney. Tell me what you're thinking. Otherwise, I don't know."

"It's stupid."

"No it's not. Feelings are never stupid."

"I want…" Rodney sighed. "I want to be locked to you."

"You want the security of knowing we can't be easily separated."

"I just…" He sighed again, nodding. "Yes." Maybe it was because of yesterday, but right now he didn't want John out of his sight and this was one way to make sure.

His master leaned in, giving him a soft kiss. "There's nothing wrong with that. Let me go look around and see what I can come up with."

"Sorry," Rodney said quietly, feeling his face flush in embarrassment of his own needs.

"There's nothing to be sorry about."

"Shouldn't have made an issue about it."

"If it's bothering you, yes, you should have." John's smile and touch were both comforting. "I want you to be happy."

"But it's a stupid thing to want."

"Not really. You spent yesterday in a deep headspace, and while you're mostly back up now, it's not complete. It's not odd or strange in the slightest to still crave reassurance after that, and to be honest, I should have thought of it."

"You're fine. It's just me. I'll be fine. We can use what you brought. You don't have to go get anything."

"Rodney." John went down to one knee, putting them on the same level. "It's never 'just you'."

"Yes, it is. I'm still the one with all the issues and…" His hand sneaked out from its usual place behind his back, gesturing as if it would complete the sentence for him. Unfortunately, the hand waving wasn't helping. "…and whatnot."

"And I'm your top, and it's part of my end of the deal that I help you with those, whatever form they might take." John caught his hand, and brought it to his lips, kissing Rodney's knuckles.

Rodney sighed quietly. "I know."

"Besides, I like hearing your thoughts. Every request you make helps me get better at knowing what you'll need, so next time, you won't have to ask."

"I know." The words were quieter this time. He did know. He really did.

"Good." John kissed him one last time before rising again. "I'll be right back. Let me see what we've got."

Rodney nodded silently, lowering his head and closing his eyes. He left his hand where it had fallen once John let go. He felt stupid and he hated that feeling.

His lover and top returned a few minutes later with a few of the small locks that came with the room. "We can use these to lock the leash to my cuff, and then I'll lock the ring to your collar."

He nodded again, the barest shake of his head.

"Rodney, look at me."

He didn't hesitate, wouldn't. Especially because it was an order and John's tone of voice meant business.

"You didn't do anything wrong by telling me what you were feeling. It's not stupid, or idiotic, or wrong. I asked you to tell me, and you obeyed me. Which, in my book, means you've been exceptionally good."

He blinked once. "Yes, John."

"And further, I'm the one in charge here. Even when I'm not being very 'toppy' that doesn't mean I've ceded my rights to your body. That means that what I say goes, and I get the final word. And in this case, my final word is that you did exactly what I wanted you to do. I would be angry if you hadn't told me."

"Yes, John. I understand."

"Good." His lover smiled, and locked everything into place.

As soon as the last lock clicked into place, something settled in Rodney's chest, completing its own circuit deep within him.

"Better?" John's voice, and expression, were both soft, loving.

Rodney nodded. "Yes," he said quietly, eyes following the line of the leash between them.

"Mmm, good. Let's go swim then. I want to see you all wet and glistening."

"Yes, John," Rodney said, rising to his feet when John tugged him.

They meandered, John not in any kind of hurry, letting Rodney look around and enjoy the sights and smells as they walked.

It was weird in a way. He'd only been out like this—without a blindfold—twice since they'd been here. He had to admit that it felt strange seeing it all now, nearly for the first time even though they'd been here almost a week. If he delayed too long, John would gently tug him, but otherwise let him set the pace.

"This is one of my favorite views." John paused at the top of the rise, pointing out at the ocean, the beach at its side, and lush colored flowers everywhere.

Rodney moved to John, wrapping his arms around his waist as he took in the view. "It's beautiful."

"When we retire, I want to live somewhere with a view like this, that we can enjoy every day."

"I just want you," Rodney said quietly, honestly.

"Mmm, that's a given. This view would be worthless if I didn't have you to share it with."

Rodney fell silent, simply enjoying the view, the sounds, and the closeness of his lover. Right now, there was nothing else he needed or wanted.

After a few long, peaceful minutes, John started them walking again, at the same slow, ambling pace.

So some reason, things were different now. He didn't feel the need to fill the silence between them with words, with noise, the way he used to.

It was…comfortable. Easy to be quiet with John.

He really could read him, know what he needed, wanted, without him ever saying a word. What would it be like for him if this became the norm? If he became a man who rarely spoke. Words and bombast were a part of him…had been a part of him for as long as he could remember. But here, like this…he didn't miss it at all. And it didn't scare him anymore.

He saw Peter and Harry out in the waves as they got closer. Since neither he nor John had brought anything except themselves, his top led him directly into the ocean.

They walked deeper and deeper until the water started to buoy them, shove them a little with each and every wave.

It didn't take them long to get to Harry and Peter. "Hi guys. Sorry we got a bit distracted before.

"It's fine," Harry said with a wave of his hand. "We just got here."

Smiling, John maneuvered them so he could talk, and have an arm around Rodney at the same time.

Rodney kicked his legs up, letting the water—and John—support him. It was warm and just perfect. None of that weird chlorine smell either. Just ocean.

"So how was your morning?"

"Good," Peter said, treading water a little. "Not as good as yours apparently, but a good morning."

Rodney saw his top grin. "What can I say? I'm a lucky, lucky man."

"So am I," Peter said with a matching grin.

John chuckled. "This water is absolutely the perfect temperature."

"I don't know," Harry said. "Could be warmer."

"Mmm, no, this is perfect."

Rodney floated into John's side, bumping him gently. Perfect was accurate. Very accurate.

His top shot him a dirty little grin, and beneath the waves, the ring began to buzz softly.

His body reacted immediately, curling up a little and dunking his head under the water for a brief moment. He came up sputtering a beat later, John's hand on his arm holding him up.

"No drowning. Just lie back and enjoy the way the waves caress your body, touching you all over."

For a brief moment, Rodney had the urge to try and wrestle John in the water for dunking him in the first place. Instead, he opted for the easier—and more pleasurable—route. He kicked his feet up again, letting his body float.

His top made sure his head didn't get dunked again, keeping him close and stroking him lightly wherever he could reach.

Rodney had always been good at floating. Even as a kid. He'd been skinnier then. Scrawny, even, but it didn't matter. He could always float. In the summer when they got the few hot, steamy days, he'd sneak down to the lake and float, cooling off the only way he could back then. His parents never asked—or noticed—when he was gone. Both too busy with work or themselves to bother with him. At least he wasn't asking for food or attention.

"Have you guys decided if you're coming to the demo tonight, Peter?"

"We might," Peter said. "We've talked a little about it. Figured we'd decide tonight. What exactly is it?"

"It's a place where tops can show off their subs a little, and subs can show off their tops and their own submission. Kind of like the Club in Vegas. I plan to drop Rodney back down, and play with him. If public sex—watching or participating—isn't your thing, you won't enjoy it. But if it is..."

"Participating…no," Peter said immediately. "Watching…I don't know. We never watched porn, even when we were first together."

"You don't have to participate. If this is anything like the ones I've been to before, there will be a variety of couches and places to lounge. From there, you can either play with each other, or just watch what's going on. I'll probably head over early enough to grab a bench with a table if they have them."

"Like I said, we hadn't decided yet. It's either that or an early night."

"Up to you. If you do decide to come try it, you can stay for as long as you like. You can either come find us—we will be participating—or find a quiet corner to hang back."

Rodney shifted in the water, turning his body so he could hold onto John, wrapping his arms and legs around his lover. There were certain benefits to water.

Turning his head, John pressed his mouth to a piece of damp skin.

"Are you sure he's not in headspace?" Harry asked quietly, his voice coming from a different direction than it had a few minutes ago.

"He is. Not as deep as he was yesterday, or will be later, but since he only needs to be up far enough for it not to be dangerous to swim, I didn't bring him up any more than that."

"Oh. I thought with headspace he wouldn't do anything on his own." Rodney opened his eyes at that, looking over John's shoulder toward Harry who was staring at him.

"Headspace isn't one single thing. There are different levels. Rodney is up far enough that he can interact and react if he needs to. And yesterday, he was too deep to be aware of anything at all, so I did everything for him." John paused. "You know, weren't you the ones explaining the responsibilities of a dom and sub to me when we were in Vegas?"

Peter ducked his head a little. "Knowing and doing are two different things," he said after a long moment. "We've always skirted the edge of this lifestyle. Had a few friends who did it. We played on the very edges—a little denial, little power plays. I've always been more dominant, Harry more subby. It's our personalities. But when it comes to the practical applications…"

"It's different. Very different."

Peter nodded. "Very different."

"You can ask me questions if you have them," Rodney said, holding Harry's gaze.

Harry bit his lip, then looked at John, who nodded. "What's it like for you? I mean, to give up all that power..."

"Freeing."

"But don't you, I don't know, isn't it hard?"

"I trust John with my life," Rodney said with a shrug, shifting to put his feet on the sand.

"Well, I guessed that, but..." He looked over at Peter and blushed. "I see it, see you, and I want that. I want to feel that peace I can almost see radiating off of you. But... then when I get it, I find myself fighting against it and I don't even know why."

"Maybe it's not what you want," Rodney said simply, trying to pull the words he knew existed. "Maybe it's only what you think you want. It's different for everyone. When I met you…you were peaceful. At least to me."

"I was." Harry said softly, not looking up at Peter. "I don't know. We've grown so far apart lately... I think I keep hoping that something like this will pull us together again."

"Harry," Rodney said, using enough force in his voice to get the other man to look up at him. "What John and I have is unique and I don't think most people could do what we do—either as a couple or even what our jobs entail. You need to find your peace again with your partner. Don't go looking for it somewhere else. You won't find it there."

The other man looked startled, but finally nodded, with another flush. "I... know. I do, but..." He looked back at Peter, who was close, but silent. "I think... I just want to be the center of your attention sometimes, and this was the only way I could think of to have that."

"All you had to do was ask, Harry," Peter said quietly.

"I did. But... that's in the past. I'm willing to let it go and start over, if you are."

Peter nodded, holding out his hand.

Harry went immediately, almost folding himself into the bigger man.

"Well…that was simple," Rodney said sarcastically, but only loud enough for John to hear.

Just as quietly, John responded with a small smile. "You call what they've been doing for the last week simple?"

"Well, they didn't blow anything up."

"We're the only ones who involve explosives in our courtship."

"Maybe not the only ones, but I doubt they'd use them."

"They don't know how much fun blowing shit up can be. And how great 'we're not dead!' sex is."

"Sometimes, though," Rodney said, pulling back to look John in the eye, "I wish we didn't know some of this firsthand."

Gentle fingers traced the lines of his face. "Me, too. I could live with no 'we're not dead!' sex if it meant I never had to worry about losing you."

"We have a few more days of not having to worry about it."

"Yeah, and I don't want to think about it. I want to keep enjoying ourselves."

"That sounds like a good plan," Rodney said with a smile.

Pulling him back in, John kissed him deeply, tasting like ocean and love.

Rodney shifted against his lover, wrapping his arms around him. God. He was going to miss this openness.

They made out for a while, floating, letting the water caress them as they kissed. Finally, John broke it off with a soft smile. "Hi."

"Mmm…hi," Rodney replied softly. They were right on the edge of the deeper water, the waves tugging them off their feet only to return them gently to the sand a few moments later.

"Did you know I have a super-sexy, hot boyfriend?"

"Me, too."

Grinning, John brushed their lips together softly.

As the next wave lifted them off their feet again, Rodney leaned into John, shifting them a little off-balance and managing to dunk them under the water.

Spluttering, John shook his head, sending water flying. His hair stuck up even when soaking wet.

Rodney chuckled, his smile broadening. "Whoops."

"Ha. Very ha." John's lips twitched.

"You were too dry."

Shaking his head, John sent more water flying, and made his hair even wilder.

Rodney laughed again, reaching forward to flatten John's hair with his hands—and dunk him again.

His top came up and immediately went on the attack, dunking Rodney right back.

Laughing and sputtering, Rodney launched himself at John, managing to dunk both of them in the water this time as they wrestled for control.

By the time they had finished wrestling, they were both laughing hard, breathless, and had managed to work their way in close enough to shore that they could collapse in the sand, waves breaking over them.

Rodney was panting hard, trying not to breathe in sand and ocean water from where he'd slumped on the beach.

"God, I love you." Looking over, Rodney caught a bright, happy smile from John. There were no shadows, no worries, and it made him look years younger as he continued to giggle in the sand.

"Why don’t we do this more?" Rodney asked, managing to get the words out with only one pause to breathe.

"We should. As often as we can."

"You're the boss. We can you know. Well, as long as the Wraith and all cooperate for a little while."

"True. We do live on an ocean. With a mainland. And a beach. I bet we could convince Teyla and Ronon to help us build a little vacation cottage we could all use." John lay back in the sand, head pillowed on his arms.

Rodney shifted, leaning on one elbow as he looked out into the ocean. "Ah…John? Where are Peter and Harry?"

Sitting up, John looked around. "I don't see them. We drifted a bit down the beach. They might just be back closer to where we started."

"Hmm. I guess," he said, reclining once again on his side next to John. "I'm sure they can take care of themselves."

"Yeah. They'll be fine. They might have snuck away for a little necking themselves. Peter's a bit shyer about public displays. They're open in front of me and other people they're close to, but not so much around strangers."

"So you were talking about the demo thing tonight with Peter. What it is exactly? I don't remember seeing anything about it."

"I saw the flyer for it when he and I were looking for Harry. It sounds like it's a lot like The Club was. A place for tops and subs to show off a little and be kinky together."

"We need a place to do that now?" Rodney asked, brushing some sand from John's stomach.

"Not really. It's just a bit more formal than hanging out at the resort. We don't have to stay long, but I do want to take you and show you off. I have the hottest sub here, and I want everyone to know it."

"Mmm….well, of course you do," Rodney said as a blush warmed his cheeks. "Do you think we can get lunch soon?"

Grinning, John turned his head to look at Rodney. "Sure. Getting hungry?"

"Well, you keep bringing me outside, making me exercise. Any man would get hungry under that kind of…strain."

"Mmmm, I would be a poor top if I didn't make sure you didn't get regular... exercise."

Rodney chuckled. "So is that what it's called now?"

"Among other things." John's grin turned a little dirty. "But that's for later. For now, do you have any requests for lunch?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "Idiot."

His top just winked at him.

He shook his head and snorted. "And food. I'm hungry and I don't know why."

Chuckling, John stood up, helping Rodney to his feet. "Let's go find the beach shower to rinse some of this sand off, and then we'll wander over to the shopping area. They had a few bistro-like places. I'm sure one of them will look good."

"I hope so. I could eat a horse and we just had breakfast a little while ago."

"All that activity. You're burning off the calories."

They walked for a few minutes hand-in-hand, finding a beach-side shower adjacent to the path leading back to the main compound. John tugged him inside and rinsed them both off, taking an extra moment to run his hands through his hair under the spray, trying to get the salt out.

"There's one benefit to having no hair," Rodney said with a smile as he watched John from where he was leaning against the wall of the beach shower.

"Yeah, yeah. At least you won't be itchy later." John made a face.

"Itchy? No. Other things? Oh, yes, I'm sure of it."

"Mmm, dirty mind. I love it." John stepped closer before shaking his head, getting Rodney wetter than he already was.

"Hey!" Rodney complained, moving a few steps away only to be brought up short as John grabbed the leash that linked them, tugging him back.

"Love me, love my shaggy, stupid hair."

"And you know I do love every last piece of you," Rodney said, his hands moving to grip John's boney hips.

"Good to know." John shifted so their groins pressed together. The Speedo hid nothing, and only served to emphasize that he was starting to get hard.

"Sometimes I think you like that leash a little too much." He rubbed himself against his top, loving the flush of arousal that flooded his own body.

"You... you love... love it." John gasped as they aligned.

"Not going to argue about that," he whispered.

Licking his lips, John looked at Rodney with eyes already going dark with need. "If we don't stop this now, we won't make it to lunch."

"I can always have an appetizer."

Rodney could feel his master's body respond to the suggestion. "On your knees. Suck me."

He chuckled as he obeyed, dragging his hands down John's sides as he knelt on the concrete. He nuzzled John's erection, mouthing him through his bathing suit.

"Oh fuck..."

Rodney leaned back, looking up John's body. "You could, but you plugged me this morning."

He felt his top's shudder. "Suck me. Rodney... need to be inside you, feel you around me. Now, please..."

"But there seems to be a small problem," Rodney said, nipping at the end of John's cock through the fabric.

The noise his master made was perfect. "Out. Pull me out. Suck me hard. Make it last. Make me come..."

Rodney reached up, letting his fingers slide under the fabric of John's Speedo right at his hips as he mouthed the tip through the fabric, tasting John's arousal.

John made another soft noise, trying to spread his legs without falling over.

"Problem?" he asked, slowly tugging the bathing suit lower.

Looking up his top's body, he saw that John had latched on to a pipe running overhead for the shower, using it to hold himself up, his head thrown back. "Rodney..."

"Yes, John?"

The response he got was more moan than actual words. He chuckled and turned his attention back to his master's erection. Rodney was careful as he eased the bathing suit down the rest of the way, not wanting to catch it on the tight fabric. When he finally reached John's feet, he tapped his ankle getting him to lift one foot and then the other, before finally pull it free.

John's chest was heaving, and he was looking down, watching. "God... so hot..."

Rodney had to agree. John was very hot right now. "Is there someone watching?" Rodney asked, shifting again so he could nuzzle John's cock.

"I... I don't..."

"You don't what, John?" he asked, breathing heavily along his master's length before burying his face in the crease of his groin and leg.

"Don't... know..."

"Mmm?" God. John smelled so good. Male and musky and aroused.

"God...." John drew the word out, and Rodney could feel him trembling.

"Nope," he said drawing back a little. "Just me."

"Per…perfect. Love you."

"How do you want it, John?"

"Slow. Want, want to come so hard I... black out..."

"Mmm," he hummed, nuzzling John's length again before finally swallowing him, sucking lightly on the tip. John tasted so good—musky and salty and perfect.

He got a whine for it, John at peak arousal made the best noises.

Rodney took his time, bobbing his head and sucking on John's cock, enjoying the weight of it, the taste of it, the feel of it in his mouth. He closed his eyes, concentrating on pleasuring his master.

He could tell from the noises and the way John was clutching his hair that his top was getting close.

He added some vibration and shifted, letting John push in deep, hitting the back of his throat. He hovered there—John's cock cutting off his air—for a few moments before moving back to breathe.

"Oh god, oh fuck, oh Rodney..."

Rodney repeated the deep-throating again and again, getting lost in the rhythm, loving the sounds his master made.

With a cry, John flooded his mouth.

He swallowed the warm, salty liquid down, eagerly drinking every ounce. He kept sucking until John softened, until he made quiet sounds of pain from the over-stimulation.

"Nnnnngh." It was only Rodney's quick hands that kept his master from just dropping to the ground. Instead, he was able to ease the other man down.

He settled him carefully before shifting his own body, curling up into him, the water from the beach shower washing over their lower bodies.

John's breathing had evened out, although his eyes were closed, and he wasn't actually forming words, just soft sighs.

Rodney settled in close, letting his eyes slide closed as he listened to his master's heart-beat slow. The thumping was calming, soothing. It let his mind drift, let him slide deeper into his own head.

"Mmmmm." He felt John stir a little.

John would tell him it was time to move. Until then, Rodney could wait…was content to wait.

"Mmm, need to move soon. This floor is hard."

He nodded, the thump-thump-thump of John's heart was like his own personal metronome.

His top moved slowly, easing them both to their feet before he kissed Rodney lightly. "Thank you."

Rodney opened his eyes slowly, lazily, smiling up at his master. He licked his lips, tasting John.

With a smile, John kissed him again, then twined their fingers together before slowly starting to walk. "Okay, now I'm ravenous. Let's go find lunch."

Rodney nodded letting John lead the way, his mind settled down a few more notches. John would take care of everything.

***

John put the finishing touches on his and Rodney's outfits for the night. He was still pretty sure he was permanently red from before, when he'd realized he had never put the Speedo back on. He had worked it, but still… he had a lot of scars. His body wasn't exactly beautiful.

But oh well.

He was checking to make sure he had everything he might need for the evening—whip, some extra tethers and locks, nipple clamps, gag, blindfold, extra plug and cock ring, a nice-sized dildo…—all in a messenger bag he had found in the toy closet probably used this very purpose. He looked up at a knock on the door, wandering over.

A nervous-looking Peter and Harry were standing there, dressed in jeans, with Peter in a leather vest and Harry in no top at all. "Hi there."    

"So, we've decided to go and watch," Harry said, vibrating a little.

"I see that. Good for you guys! Keep an open mind, and you'll have fun. This will only be my second one actually attending, but from that, and from others I've heard about, there's always a kind of electric energy at gatherings like this."

"So where's Rodney?" Harry asked, already moving around the cabin, looking for the scientist. "I want to see what he's wearing."

"In the bedroom." Grinning, John led them forward. He smiled at his sub as they walked in. Rodney was in heavier straps than they had been using, with his hands secured to a suspension bar above his head for the moment, his feet chained wide apart to hooks in the floor. John had artfully arranged the straps to highlight Rodney's jutting erection, which sported his cock ring, buzzing merrily.

"I thought you were supposed to wait until later," Peter said, pausing at the door as his partner took a few more steps closer to Rodney who was moaning quietly.

"I am. This is just a warm-up, of sorts. I wanted him deep enough in his headspace that he'll be able to enjoy this, too, without feeling self-conscious." Moving to his sub, John wrapped his fingers around Rodney's chin, tilting it up for a fast, hard kiss.

"He's self-conscious?" Peter sounded surprised.

"Very much so." Stepping back again, John nodded to himself. Rodney was good and deep. "He wasn't treated well by past lovers, and while he's gotten much, much better since he and I got together, he still sometimes has bouts of doubts. But in headspace, he doesn't care about anything except pleasing me, which isn't hard, so he can just exist in a little bubble of pleasure."

Peter shook his head. "You certainly can't tell he's self-conscious—at all. He's been parading around here naked for the past week."

Smiling, John nodded. "I started bringing him down even before we got here. And by the time we met up with you guys, he was well under. Even when he's been up enough to have conversations with you, he's still been at least somewhat in his headspace."

"So is that why he's been nicer?" Harry asked sharply.

"Be nice. That's my partner you're talking about." John softened it with a grin—he knew Rodney's temperament better than anyone, and he really wasn't offended. "But, yes, I haven't really given him the time or opportunity to do anything other than be my sub."

Rodney moaned louder as he shifted in his bindings, pulling some of the straps which bound his body.

"Shhh. We'll be going soon. I just want to finish making sure I have everything I might need."

He whimpered again, but settled a few moments later, panting heavily.

"Good boy." As he walked by, John patted his lover's bared ass. He had been careful with the straps to make sure that while they showed off Rodney's beautiful cock, they also didn't cover up that gorgeous ass.

"So…what exactly are you planning?" Peter asked a few beats later, his voice a little tentative.

Returning, John stowed the last few items in his bag before ducking under the strap so it crossed over his chest, the bag falling at his side. "I plan to play it by ear, based on what the mood of the whole thing is. For now, I plan to find a table where I can arrange my sub how I like and have a drink. From there, we'll see."

"So is this like their version of a nightclub or a dinner show?" Harry asked, poking through some of the items John had left on the dresser.

"Exactly. Think of it as like your club, only with more sex."

"We don't have people in bondage in our club," Peter said, watching his partner.

John rolled his eyes. "Yes, I've noticed that. So a slight correction: think of it as your club with more kink in general, which includes sex and other various forms of play."

"And what, they put people up on stage and whip them for the delight of one and all?" Peter's sarcasm was a little thick.

"Hardly. It's not performance art, Peter. Just like-minded people who enjoy participating in more than vanilla sex getting together to show each other off. At The Club, they did have small rooms with various equipment where you could stage or watch 'scenes', but for a resort like this I'm guessing it will be mostly individuals or small groups enjoying the freedom to be themselves without censure, in a group of others just like them."

"Just relax, Peter," Harry said, drawing out the syllables of his partner's name. "We can leave if you're uncomfortable. It's not like someone's going to tie us to the table."

"Unless you ask them to." John couldn't help it, and he grinned at his friends. "Seriously, just relax. I promise, no one will stop you when you decide to leave."

"But just about anything goes," Peter commented.

"Within reason." John started to unhook Rodney from the bar. "No non-consensual activities will be allowed."

Rodney was trembling in John's hands—a mixture of anticipation and arousal—moaning and whimpering quietly. John carefully secured his hands behind his back. "As if they can actually enforce that," Peter said, taking a few steps toward Harry to stop him from opening the dresser drawers.

"You'd be surprised. I know it doesn't look any different to you, but for anyone who has been a top or a sub, it's easy to tell the different between consensual bondage and forced."

Harry made a face at Peter as his lover tugged him away from the dresser, stopping the rest of his exploration. "I guess we'll see what this club is all about," he said, his tone non-committal.

John locked Rodney's leash in place and wound it around his wrist—for tonight, he didn't want it locked to him directly, since it would be coming off as soon as they arrived. "All right then, let's go."

"Now?" Peter asked, his head turning sharply toward John. "Should we have eaten dinner? We didn't eat anything yet, but maybe we should have."

"We didn't eat yet either. You'll be able to order anything there, which is what I plan to do."

"Oh. Okay."

John gave his sub a little tug. "Rodney, follow me. Stay right beside me."

He got a small nod in reply and his sub's eyes opened only wide enough for him to judge the distance between him and John.

Walking slowly, John started out, Rodney beside him and Peter and Harry behind them. It didn't take them long to arrive in the area designated for the party, and there were already a few people there, but not many. It was still early. John spotted an empty table that had lush, two-person loungers instead of chairs, complete with tether points, and started in that direction.

"Aren't we going inside?" Harry asked, pointing toward the building. "I see some booths that are empty."

"You guys can if you want. It's such a nice night, I'd rather sit out here, personally."

"But then anyone walking by can see you," Harry said, sounding a little scandalized.

John couldn't help it, he chuckled. "That's sort of the whole point. One of my personal kinks is showing off of how absolutely beautiful my sub is when he's lost in headspace. Hard to show off if you're hiding."

"Well, I guess," Harry said, blushing a little. "If you put it that way…"

Grinning, John unhooked Rodney's hands and quickly secured him to the seat, legs spread wide open and hands held down. Later he would bare that beautiful ass, but for now, he needed his sub in a position he could be fed in.

Rodney tugged at the bonds as soon as John's hands slid away, his body shifting against the fabric of the cushions. His head rolled to the side toward John, his eyes at half mast as he moaned and trembled.

"Good boy. Just sit there and feel good. I'm going to order us dinner." John mentally turned on the cock ring, setting it on its lowest vibrations for now, just enough for Rodney to feel it.

His back arched as the vibrations traveled through his body, the moan of pleasure and surprise loud, making heads turn.

John had been semi-hard since he first started getting them ready. That was enough to push him to full mast, pushing tight against the leather pants he had on. "God, you're so gorgeous."

Rodney hadn't come since early this morning and looked desperate for it, shuddering and squirming on the bench beside John. He was going to be beautiful tonight.  

"Aren't you going to do something?" Harry asked quietly.

"Like what?" John didn't take his eyes off his sub, enjoying the way he moved and the sounds he made.

"Like let him come. Can't you see he needs to?"

"He's okay. He will come tonight, just not right now."

"But he—" Harry argued, only to be cut off by Peter.

"John knows what he's doing."

Glancing over at them, John smiled. "He doesn't really want to come, Harry. He actually likes waiting—whenever I give him the option, he always chooses waiting. It just lets the pleasure build higher, and when I do allow him to come, it's that much more explosive."

"But why put off pleasure?"

"Pleasure is about more than coming."

Harry looked at John like he had two heads. "No, it's not."

"Yes, it is. Does Rodney look like he's not enjoying himself? Coming is just the finale, so to speak. But why rush through all the stuff in between?"

Harry looked like he was going to argue, but Peter's light touch on his arm side-tracked him. Interestingly enough, it seemed that both he and Rodney had been right about Harry. He was curious about this side of things, but it really wasn't for him. He'd just been looking for attention and saw this as a way to get it.

He just hoped his friends could relax enough to enjoy this as something different, and maybe take away a few ideas of ways to spice up their lives together. He flagged down a waiter and got a large platter of finger foods for the table, along with drinks.

Rodney had quieted down in the ensuing minutes, adjusting to the sensations. He was still moaning, but at a much lower volume and his eyes were completely closed now, letting himself get lost in the sensations.

Reaching over, John let his fingers trace light patterns across his lover, smiling at the immediate responsiveness. Rodney shivered and shuddered, panting heavily between moans of pleasure. Harry was leaning against his partner, watching with wide-open eyes.

"Very good, Rodney. You're so perfect. I love you so much."

"Sir? Are you certain you do not wish a more centrally located table?" The voice was cultured and polite.

Startled, John looked up. He hadn't heard anyone approach, too caught up in Rodney's pleasure. "I'm sorry?"

It was one of the hotel employees—a woman—dressed exquisitely in leather that fit her every curve. "I apologize for interrupting, but perhaps you would consider moving to a more central location? I don't think we'll have a full-house tonight and I believe you may be getting a lot of attention. If you were more centrally located, more of our guests would be able to observe."

"Where would you suggest? I want to be outside, and while I want to show him off, I don't want anywhere too noisy that might distract him. I want my sub's full and undivided attention."

She gestured to a raised section of the outdoor patio area. "Perhaps there? I know only one other table in that section has been reserved for tonight."

Looking it over, John decided that could work. "All right. I ordered food and drinks—could you have them sent up there as well? Peter, are you guys coming too, or did you want to stay down here?"

"Of course, sir. I'll go and get the table set up for you," she said with a smile, moving away with a purposeful stride.

"So there is a stage," Peter said with a half smile.

John felt himself go a little hot. "Well, not really a stage, per se..."

"I wonder if they tape the performances, too," Harry said with a thoughtful sigh.

John went even redder. "I...ah... have no idea actually. Why?"

"Nothing," Harry said, finally looking at John. "Was just a thought." He paused for a moment before continuing on. "I know if I were the resort, I'd make sure to get some of the best performances on camera…for marketing purposes of course. We do that for our own Club when we have good nights."

"Well, I guess here it's a little different, only because a lot of people won't want their faces out like that."

"Maybe," Harry said with a shrug. "Great publicity for them, though."

"If they blacked out faces. Given my profession, it really wouldn't be a good thing to have my face used in marketing, in this instance." Chuckling, and still feeling a bit hot, John rose and quickly unhooked his lover. "Stand up, Rodney. We're moving to a different table. So are you guys coming or staying here?"

Rodney opened his eyes halfway before shifting on the lounger to crawl toward John. Both Harry and Peter's eyes landed on his sub's ass as he moved, but it was Peter who answered. "We'll go for now. I don't know how long we're going to stay."

"Sounds good." John clipped on Rodney's leash and got him standing, bringing him to the new table and once more securing him so he was showing off his best assets.

The lounges up here were wider and had more attachment points than the ones on the edge of the patio. And looking around, John also realized how much of a better view these tables gave everyone else. Even before John had settled down, drinks and food were already in the middle of the table. Peter and Harry were lagging behind, standing next to their old table talking.

John made himself comfortable next to his sub, sitting so their sides were pressed together, and he had full access to anything he wanted to touch. He selected a bite of food, and let himself relax into the familiar ritual of feeding them.

Rodney was turned toward him—as much as the bindings would allow—his eyes fixed on John. His hand closest to him was pressed against John's thigh, stroking the leather gently. The cuffs and tether points really didn't give him a lot of room to move his hands.

"You're beautiful. So perfect. You can't get any more perfect to me."

"Please, John," he whispered, the two words barely loud enough for John to hear.

"Please what? You won't be coming any time soon. I still have lots of things I want to do to you."

"Hold me?"

Shifting closer, John wrapped his arms immediately around his sub. "I'm here, buddy. Always."

Rodney pressed his face into John's shoulder, his body doing one big all-over shudder before he relaxed against him as he let out a long breath.

"Good, so good. I love you so much."

"Love you," Rodney whispered, just as Peter and Harry walked up, settling on the adjacent lounger.

"Wow. This is nice up here," Harry said.

"Great view." John smiled over at them, even as he brushed his lips over Rodney's bare skin, reaching around to select another morsel to feed him.

"They came," his sub said quietly. His eyes had shifted toward John's friends.

"They did." Smiling, John shifted just enough to let Rodney see them better. "Say hi."

Rodney blinked twice and then smiled softly. "Hi. You came."

Smiling, John fed his sub another bite, leaning in to kiss him as soon as he swallowed. "You can chat with Harry later, buddy. Right now, I'm going to be selfish and require all of your attention on me."

"Mmm…kay," Rodney replied quietly. He looked up at John through his lashes, his eyes open wide and nearly all pupil except for the small ring of blue around them.

Licking his lips, John couldn't resist. He dove in again, this time kissing Rodney more thoroughly, not leaving any corner of his mouth unexplored.

Rodney gave as good as he got, moaning into the kiss even as he tugged at the restraints, forgetting he couldn't touch.

John more than made up for that, letting his own hands travel, touch, tweak whatever his fingers could find.

A few spots made Rodney shudder hard and his breath catch in his throat. Other parts pulled deep, pleasurable moans from him. The longer John kept it up, the easier the sounds came, the more pliant his sub's body became as he dropped deeper into subspace.

Needing to breathe, John slowly came back up again. Rodney's lips were a bit puffy, well-kissed. God, so fucking perfect.

Rodney licked them, his tongue brushing against John's lips, making them both moan quietly.

Panting, John shifted, trying to ease some of the strain on his aching dick. He wasn't near ready to come yet, so he didn't want to bring it out. He wouldn't be able to help himself if he did.

His sub's fingers grazed his thigh, skirting over the body-warmed leather as he tried to reach for him.

Sucking in a breath, John reached down, twining their fingers together. "Later. I'll let you touch me before I fuck you."

Rodney moaned, surging forward until the bindings were pulled tight, his eyes open wide and pleading as they fixed on John's face.

Licking his lips, John traced a finger along Rodney's jaw line. "We'll get there. I'm not in any hurry tonight. I want to enjoy you first."

"Please."

"We'll get there."

Rodney's eyes closed as he nodded, a small sob dropping from his lips.

"Shhhh." John firmed up his touch, running his palm all over Rodney's body. "Right now we're going to eat a bit more dinner. Then I'm going to play with you. Then you're going to get the chance to touch me for a bit before I claim you."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" The voice was deep and amused, coming from behind John. "He'd be liable to eat you alive by then."

John's brain was mostly pooled in his groin, so once more he looked up and blinked.

There were a few people with them up on the raised section of floor—several couples along with a few subs which looked like they were part of one group which belonged to the man who'd spoken. "You're new here," he said by way of a greeting.

John forced himself to come back online to a certain degree. "This is our first time here, yes. I saw the flyer and couldn't resist showing him off a bit."

"Good. I expect a good show, then."

"We've been to one other club like this, in Vegas. We sort of set off a small orgy at the time, if that gives you any indications." He was still rather proud of that.

"Huh. That's a nice place. Hard to get into. How'd you manage that?"

"Friends of mine are regulars. They invited us as guests. Now we have a standing invite if we're ever back in the area. You've been?"

"Not for a few years. It had gotten too mainstream for my tastes."

John shrugged. "I can't speak to that. It was my first one, so I have nothing to compare it to. It was pretty wild, but I don't know how it used to be." As he chatted, John let his hand drift down, to circle Rodney and start gently caressing his leaking dick.

Rodney moaned loudly, his body trembling. He tried to shift and squirm, but the restraints held him in place.

"It used to last for two days," he said, leaning a hip against the table. His eyes were on Rodney, watching him, even as he spoke to John. "It was wild."

"Huh. Must have been something. Although for multi-day things, I think I prefer this type of setting. A bit more laid-back."

"I had two subs back then," he said with a smile. "It took them nearly a week to recover after one of those parties."

Shaking his head, John firmed up his grip briefly to hear Rodney's noises. "I can't imagine having two. But then, we're full-time partners in addition to dom/sub, so it's just part of our relationship. I'm guessing it's different when it's not full time?"

Rodney didn't disappoint, moaning and whimpering loudly as he trembled in John's hands. "So are we," the man said. "I have four partners now."

"How do you do it? I spend almost all of my energy on taking care of him."

"With the four?" He shrugged. "The more there are the easier it is. They take care of each other for the daily things. And two of them are nearly always in full restraint 24/7. It rotates between them, but it certainly makes it easier to deal with them."

"Huh. I have no plans to take on another sub, at least not full time, but that's interesting." John smiled at his lover, leaning in to kiss him again, lightly this time.

The man shrugged again. "You should try it sometime. Might spice things up."

Chuckling, John shrugged. "Maybe. But I love this one, and I don't think he'd be willing to share me on a regular basis. He would accept it if I told him to, but he would be unhappy, and that's not my main goal."

The man made some kind of disapproving noise. "It's not up to him."

"No, it's not. But I base my decisions at least in part on his happiness. I'll do what I think is best for him, whether he likes it or not, but the end goal is always to take care of him."

"A true sub wouldn't care. Hell, he shouldn't care. As long as you're happy, he should be content. It's not about love anyway. It's about the carnal pleasures. Come on and admit it. That's what this is all about."

He shook his head. "I know for a lot of people it is, but for us, it's not. I love him, he's my partner, and I'd marry him if I could. I want to protect him, keep him safe, take away all his worries so he can focus on what's really important in life. This is a big part of our relationship because we both enjoy it, but it's not the only part."

"Oh." He paused, finally looking at John. "You're one of those."

"Those?"

"You're the ones who have made my lifestyle a mainstream joke."

"I don't think it's a joke, at all. Personally, I'm glad that this type of experience is being more accepted, and at all different levels. It keeps things interesting, to talk to people who are everything from casual dabblers to hard-core, full time tops and subs. I consider us closer to the hard-core than the casual end of the spectrum; we're just doing it as a couple, together."

"Well, I'm not going to agree with you so instead of arguing about it and ruining my evening, I'll leave." He shifted back to his feet and snapped his fingers, his four subs immediately appearing at his side—all of them in various stages of bondage, none of it looking comfortable at all.

Shrugging, John nodded. "Sorry we couldn't find common ground, but I'd rather not argue about it either. I hope you manage to enjoy the rest of your evening."

"I will," he said, snapping his fingers again as he addressed his subs. "We're going back to the cabin. Heel."

Shaking his head, John turned back to Rodney, glancing over at Peter and Harry who had followed the conversation with interest. "That's the kind of top I'll never be. I have no desire to have this kind of power over someone when there isn't love involved, at least not full time."

"That's what I expected, honestly," Peter said after a minute. "At least at first."

"There are a lot of them out there like that. Quite a few of them are happy it's becoming more accepted, and we're seeing more levels of BDSM, but some, like our friend there, would rather it stayed something in the shadows only practiced by a few I suppose."

"His subs are probably injured, aren’t they?" Harry asked, his eyes still following the man as he strode off.

"Probably, given the types of bondage he's using, and the fact that he keeps them in it so much." John sighed. "But they don't have to stay there. For every top out there like that, there's a sub who wants it that way. I don't really understand it."

"Of course they have to stay there," another person said, sliding up to their table. "Sorry, but I couldn't help but overhearing."

Apparently they were hosting a seminar on the various types of tops and subs. It was interesting at least. John fed Rodney another bite of food as he gestured for the new person to have a seat at one of the empty chairs. "They might be subs, but they can leave him if they choose to."

"Thanks," she said, settling down in the chair as her sub moved to stand behind her, massaging her shoulders. "I'm Jackie. This is Anthony, by the way."

"John, and this is Rodney, and my friends, Peter and Harry."

"Nice to meet you. And I guess you hadn’t met Joseph before."

"No, this was the first time we ran into him. He struck me as a very old school top who believes BDSM should be the way it is in porn flicks." John fed his sub another bite, pleased to see that Rodney was still far down, and the conversations going on around him weren't really penetrating.

"It's really not…old school," Jackie said, shaking her head. "He's just part of a very different mindset. He owns his subs—lock, stock, and barrel. They were bought and paid for."

Sucking in a breath, John involuntarily looked back at where they had gone. "How could anyone voluntarily make themselves a slave? I knew it was done, but I'd never met anyone who practiced it."

"There are a number of them that frequent the resort. A few times a year they even offer auctions where doms from all over the world come and purchase subs."

He made a face. "I don't really see the appeal at all."

"You'd be surprised at how big that network is," Jackie said. "There are houses all over the world where the slaves are trained and then sold to others to continue their training before they're finally sold to private owners."

"Are they the ones putting themselves in that situation to begin with? If so, then it is consensual. Hard-core, but if they knew what they were volunteering themselves for..."

"Most of the time that's true," she said with a shrug, her eyes drifting toward Rodney. "I wouldn't have been surprised if Joseph had made you an offer."

"He's not for sale. He's my partner, not my slave."

"Which is why he was fishing. He's been watching you since you arrived. He's one of the bigger buyers. Goes through slaves pretty regularly."

Shaking his head, John made a point of caressing his lover, touching him softly almost to reassure himself that Rodney was still there and okay. "He won't try to do anything sneaky, will he?"

"Not that I know of. Most of his transactions involve money, but he does have a reputation for getting what he wants."

John's eyes narrowed as he glanced once more in the direction the slave master had gone. "I have a reputation for protecting what's mine."

"John, nothing's going to happen," Peter said quietly, cutting into the conversation.

Shaking himself, John consciously let go of the soldier and special-ops persona he was aware had been creeping into his body language. "You're right. It's nothing to worry about I'm sure. And we're here to enjoy ourselves, not get upset."

"So this is the first time you've been to the resort?" Jackie asked, her own sub continuing the massage he'd started when she'd sat down.

"Yeah, and it's amazing. I've never had a person I wanted to do this with until Rodney." Smiling at his sub, John reached over to start caressing him again.

Rodney purred as soon as John's hands touched him and John's smile only broadened. His sub had dropped down deeper. Good.

"Don't forget to feed him, John," Harry commented, shoving the platter toward John.

Chuckling, John selected another morsel and pushed it against his lover's lips. "I won't. But I don't want him to get too full. I have plans for him tonight."

Harry mumbled something John didn't catch, Peter elbowing him to quiet him.

"What was that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at Harry. The tone of the mumble had been wrong—as was the tension in his friend's body. Now what?

"I said, what will happen if he goes into a hypoglycemic coma because you were too busy thinking with…" Harry's hand fluttered, finishing the sentence without the requirement of words. John knew what he meant.

He narrowed his eyes again. "That's out of line. I know what I'm doing, and I'm not going to let him get sick. You're my friend, but he's mine to take care of, not yours."

"So why is he a good twenty or thirty pounds lighter than he was six months ago?"

"Harry…" Peter said quietly in a warning tone.

"Because he's in a hell of a lot better shape now than he was." John closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm not starving my lover, Harry."

"And we talked about this before, Harry," Peter said, with a quiet sigh. "We weren't going to bring it up."

Great, so now his friends were talking about how he was abusing his lover. "I'm not starving him, and he's healthier than he's probably ever been in his life. We live very...active...lives, and we are required to have exams by the base doctors more frequently than most people realize."

"Harry just thinks that if you don't have two helpings of everything then you're not eating. Look at me," Peter said, spreading his arms. "Sorry, John. There's no need for you to explain yourself."

"So what do you do"? Jackie asked, trying to lighten up the conversation.

John smiled at her. "We work for the government, actually. I wish I could tell people about some of the neat stuff we get to see and do, but pretty much all of it is classified."

"You're military? Where are you stationed? I have a brother in the service."

"We're stationed out in Antarctica, actually."

"Really?" Jackie's eyes widened. "Then you have to know my brother: Captain Michael Smythe."

John's eyes widened, and he quickly looked away. "Ahhh, no, I, uh, can't say that I do. Know him."

"Are you sure? He said the base wasn't large. You have to know him. He's a big guy, broad. All muscles. He's gotten a lot of commendations, too."

Biting down on his lip, John was suddenly assaulted with memories he had managed to repress for months now. Being drugged, assaulted, hurt, humiliated. It was over now, but... his sister wasn't the one who had hurt them, and she seemed nice enough. John didn't want to disillusion her, or piss her off. "We're stationed there, but to be honest we don't spend much time there. We run a lot of off-base missions, so..."

"Off-base missions," Peter said dryly. "In Antarctica."

He shrugged. "I told you it was classified. I really do wish I could tell you more. You guys would be amazed. It's primarily a science facility, and there are some of the best and brightest minds working on projects based there. It's the coolest job in the world. Universe even."

"I'm sure you know, Michael," Jackie insisted. "He said he knew everyone on base."

John focused on his lover, his sub, trying to push back the phantom shivers of pleasure, of pria burning through him, making him want, making him shameless, needy. How it had been used against him, used to control him, control Rodney. He was a little surprised by the sudden craving, the desire for it that washed through him. But Kate, and Carson, had warned him that it was possible. Like any drug addict, the occasional craving was to be expected.

Rodney responded to his touches easily, shifting and squirming, moaning in pleasure.

"I thought you were in charge, John," Harry said.

"I... can we talk about something else? Not to seem rude but... I'd rather not think about work right now." Hand drifting down, John focused on the feel of Rodney's cock in his hand, how soft and hard it was, perfect.

"In charge?" Jackie said, confusion in her voice.

Swallowing, he forced himself to look up, look at her. "Look, you seem really nice, and I don't really want to cause problems. Yes, I know your brother, but it wasn't under the best of circumstances. I don't want to cause you any pain, or tell you anything he chooses not to tell you himself, so please, please, let's drop this?" He hated that his voice cracked slightly on the last syllable. And from the narrowed look he got from Peter, his friend had caught it.

"Sure," Jackie said with a nod, confusion clearly on her face. "I know in his last letter he mentioned he was getting ready to be transferred. He was hoping he'd be closer to home and his family."

"Thank you," he breathed softly. Interesting that Symthe hadn't told his family he'd actually been court marshaled and put in prison. But John didn't want to open those wounds any more than necessary.

"His wife, Andrea, lives just outside of Washington in Virginia. I know she was getting the house ready for him to come home on leave."

Wife, God that sadistic bastard had a wife... John bit his lip, looking away. Flashes, more flashes, of sex, desire, touching... He was aware his breathing was starting it elevate, and he made another effort to get himself under control. Stupid PTSD.

Rodney moaned loudly, shifting into his hand, his body shuddering hard as John realized he'd been squeezing his hand tighter than usual around his sub's cock.

Releasing his grip, John leaned in to press a kiss to his lover's mouth in a silent apology.

But he simply moaned into John's mouth, obviously lost in the sensations, unaware of anything except his body and how John made it feel.

Needing that, needing the comfort his lover's body offered, and to regain the center he had momentarily lost, John dove in further, tasting, giving them both a deeper connection.

And Rodney was just perfect. He opened up easily for John, letting John plunder his mouth, take what he wanted. The sounds were perfect and the trembling shudders his body gave were beautiful.

When his body told him he had to breathe or else, John pulled back slowly, nibbling a little on Rodney's bottom lip before he sat back.

Rodney looked debauched—mouth open, panting hard, lips red and a little swollen from the kisses. Every breath he took just emphasized his nipples and the rings adorning them, his chest rising and falling.

John swallowed hard, feeding his sub a piece of fruit to distract him from wanting to ravish Rodney here and now.

The conversation had continued around him, John realized vaguely, a quiet hum of background noise. Rodney took the fruit John gave him, licking his lips as some of the juice dripped down.

He didn't want to get sucked back into something that would upset him, so instead he leaned in and licked away the traces of juice Rodney had missed. "You're so fucking beautiful."

John got a half smile in response as Rodney lifted his head off the back of the lounge, trying to kiss John, but ending up hitting the corner of his mouth instead.

Smiling, John shifted so his lover could kiss him, pull him in. They made out that way for a while, until the entire world had narrowed down to Rodney, and what they were doing together right here and now.

Rodney's hand was heavy against his leg, fingers kneading the muscle as they kissed, only coming up long enough to breath before diving back in again.

John wanted. Badly. He broke their mouths apart to work his way down Rodney's body, drinking in the sounds and responses he was getting.

This wasn't exactly what he had planned, but John didn't care anymore. He wanted his sub, wanted the pleasure to wash out the memories.

When he got down to Rodney's cock, he shifted, moving to his knees to take it in his mouth. He needed the taste, the feel of it on his tongue.

Rodney arched his back as much as he could—pinned with the restraints and John's mouth. He moaned and groaned, the sounds loud and clear. There was no mistaking what was going on at their table.

John wasn't ready for his lover to come, he wanted to feel it as he buried himself in the other man. So, reluctantly, he let Rodney slip from his mouth.

The frustrated, desperate howl was perfect, pulling a dirty chuckle from John's mouth as he smiled, crawling back onto the lounge.

"Soon, buddy. I promise. I'll turn you around and take you hard, and you can come when I do."

Rodney panted, squirming and writhing next to him, tugging at the bindings holding his hands in place.

It was beautiful. John had to turn away for a moment, reaching blindly for a drink to cool his own ardor a bit.

He could feel the eyes on them. Even Peter and Harry had stopped talking, simply watching the two of them. Jackie was gone, he noticed vaguely, her and her sub a few tables away.

He processed it, and then dismissed it. This was about him and Rodney. Together. "I'm going to unhook you, and turn you over. I need to be inside you, now."

Rodney tugged at the restraints holding his arms down, moaning loudly, begging without words.

John quick undid the restraints. But instead of turning Rodney around, he smiled as an idea struck him. He quickly got his own pants open, freeing his aching member, and smeared on some lube from a bowl on the table. Grabbing Rodney, he tugged his lover over his lap, positioning them so Rodney sank right down, taking him completely inside his body.

His sub groaned loudly as he settled into John's lap, head thrown back in pleasure. It took him nearly a minute to realize his hands were free and then he opened his eyes, locking onto John's face. His hands were grabby, needy, demanding as they stroked John's skin, speaking for him when his mouth could not. He leaned down, covering John's mouth with his own as he clenched down on his master's cock in his ass.

Moaning, John gave it all back. He liked this position because it left him free to let his own hands roam, to just feel. It was more intimate than just a quick fuck, and that was what he wanted, needed.

Rodney's cock brushed against John's stomach every time he shifted in John's lap, spreading pre-come. His sub was a little more demanding than usual, but also horny as hell. Apparently yesterday's long session in subspace was still lingering. That was good to know.

Getting his hands full of gorgeous ass, John started to guide his lover, starting slow, wanting it to build a bit before he let them both find release.

The hitched breath and the panting moans only encouraged John to keep up the pace—even though he just wanted to fuck him hard and come. This would be so much better.

When he couldn't hold the kiss anymore, the need to pant overwhelming everything else, John broke it off, his head falling back against the lounger as he moaned his pleasure and approval.

Rodney buried his face in John's neck, moaning loudly as he fucked himself on John's cock. His hands were holding on tightly to John and he knew there would be bruises from where they dug in a little too much.

It was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Over and over again, Rodney rose up and slid back down, each time dropping down harder and harder in John's lap.

John was arching now, meeting his lover on every thrust. He could feel his orgasm starting to build, moaning beyond his ability to hold back. "Come…come when... when I do..."

John didn't know if Rodney acknowledged the order or not, couldn't tell, too caught up in the sensations of his lover, of fucking his lover.

With a cry, he couldn't stop it any longer. He managed to find the brain power to loosen Rodney's ring, and then he was coming, hard, enough that his vision went completely white, all noise merging into one steady rush.

When he came back to the present, Rodney was slumped against him, limp and sated, breathing evenly. Moans and groans filled the air around them.

"Nnnngh."

"John?" Peter's voice was tentative.

"Mmm?" Lolling his head to the side, John cracked an eye. He didn't have the energy yet to do anything else.

"Oh good," he said, expelling a heaving sigh of relief. "I wasn't sure if you were still alive. I mean, Harry swore you were both still breathing…"

"S'good. S'really good." He managed a goofy grin.

Peter chuckled lightly, rolling his eyes. Harry was cradled in his arms. "Rodney okay? He hasn't moved since…well…since."

"Mmm hmm. He passes out after really good orgasms." John managed to get the other eye open, and shifted slightly so Rodney was in a more comfortable position. He was still deep in his sub's body, so he let out a soft, startled moan as the movement jarred him.

"You…ah…might want to pull out."

Breath hitching, John bit his lower lip. "Feels too good."

"You can't just stay like that."

"Mmm, won't. When he wakes up, I'll reposition him and strap him back down. But don't want to move yet."

"So this is normal?" Peter still sounded surprised and it seemed as if he was trying to ignore all the other sounds in the area.

"Uh huh. S'nice." Feeling languid, relaxed, his former tension gone, John very slowly moved, moaning again as he slid Rodney off his lap. His sub hadn't stirred yet on his own, so John carefully inserted one of the plugs he had brought, and then secured his lover back to the chaise, on full display. He cleaned himself up with the available cloths and then tucked himself back away before he curled next to the other man.

"I never pass out," Harry said quietly to Peter. "Why not?"

"Never had a lover who did before him." John smiled. "Freaked me the hell out the first few times. I even went and talked to our doctor, much to everyone's embarrassment."

Rodney picked that moment to come back with a low moan that only picked up in intensity when he found himself plugged and restrained.

All of his attention snapping back into place, John smiled. "Hey, there."

His sub shifted toward John, the still-damp come on his chest picking up the light from the overhead outdoor lamps.

John fed his lover another bite—the only reason he hadn't added a gag while Rodney was still out was because he did want to get a bit more into him before he cut his lover off for the night.

He almost thought Rodney was going to refuse it, but after a long moment he ate the food John had pressed to his lips, chewing slowly.

"Good boy," John whispered.

John continued to feed him, Rodney taking each piece with a small hesitation.

After a few bites, John touched his lover's lips with a finger. "Getting full?"

Rodney nodded after a moment, lips moving in a silent request a beat later. It was as if Rodney was in slow-motion or something. Apparently the fucking had slowed down more than just his brain.

Smiling at him, John pulled out the gag, making sure his sub could see it. "Once I put this on you, you won't be eating any more tonight. I need to know that you've had enough to not have to worry. Nod if you don't need any more food, shake your head if you do."

Rodney gave him a weird nodding shake a few beats later and licked his lips.

John blinked a few times, then pointed at the drink on the table. "Is that what you're asking for? A sip of water?"

He licked his lips again and nodded.

Chuckling, John complied, holding the cup to Rodney's lips, and letting his lover drink as much as he needed.

He took several long sips, breathing between each, before he finally shifted away from the cup, a murmured "thank you" floating between them.

"You're very welcome." John carefully pressed an almost chaste kiss to Rodney's lips before securing the gag in place.

The small lock secured it in place, ensuring that no one except John would remove it. He stroked Rodney's face, tracing the leather straps with his fingers. His sub's eyes fluttered and closed as he moaned quietly, the gag keeping most of it inside.

"Mmmm, perfect. Rest now. I'll want to play with you again in a bit, and I'll expect you to get hard for me when I do."

Rodney nodded, tugging at the restraints holding his hands in place. He opened his eyes, his gaze settling on John, his pupils already blown out again.

John arranged himself so he could both see and pet his lover, and see and talk to Peter and Harry. He finally took a moment to really look around—it looked like there had been quite a bit of sex, and now most people were doing the same as he was, resting and recovering a bit for round two.

They looked a little shell-shocked, but they were still there. That was a good thing. "So. I think everyone was waiting for you or something. It was like creepy," Harry said. "All of a sudden there was some silent signal and almost everyone was fucking."

John felt a blush creep up his neck. "Um, yeah. That happened the last time when we were at The Club."

"So you figured it would happen here, too?" Peter asked with a smile and a roll of his eyes. "And here I thought it was Rodney with the ego."

"Well, no. I wasn't planning on it. But it doesn't surprise me as much as it should. I have a really, really hot lover. How can anyone help but be aroused to the point of needing release when they watch him like that?"

"I told you we should have!" Harry complained, smacking Peter's arm.

"You guys just watched instead of participating, eh?" John laughed softly.

Rodney's fingers rubbed against John's thigh, barely brushing, but enough to get his attention.

Turning his head, John gave Rodney his full attention again. "Hey, buddy."

His body shifted slightly, but his eyes were fixed on John's face.

"Want my full and undivided attention, eh?"

His face brightened and he nodded.

Unable to help it, John laughed softly and leaned in, his fingers stroking various random parts of Rodney's body. "You're always at the center of my attention."

Rodney's fingers dug into his leg a little now that John had moved closer. He moaned around the gag, nose flaring a little as he breathed in and out. His eyes, though, his eyes were fixed on John.

Grinning, John reached back to grab a bite of food for himself, eating it as pornographically as he could manage, his eyes never leaving Rodney's face.

The shifting and squirming his sub did—and the breath he held—told John exactly what he wanted to know. Rodney loved it.

He was hungry anyway, since he had been mostly focused on feeding his lover, so John continued to eat, enjoying the responses he was getting from Rodney.

"How long are you planning on staying?"

"Hmmm?"

"Tonight," Peter said. "How long were you going to stay?"

John glanced back. "I don't know. Until I don't feel like being here anymore I guess."

"Oh," Peter said quietly. Harry was leaning back against him, Peter's arm curled around his waist. "I'm not sure how much longer we're going to stay."

John smiled at him. "That's okay. People will be drifting in and out most of the night I imagine."

"You're going to…" Peter said, trailing off as his free hand waved toward Rodney who was moaning quietly, his eyes still fixed on John.

"Going to what?"

Harry elbowed Peter in the ribs. "What he meant to ask is if you were planning on having sex again."

John laughed. "Yes. I'll ramp us both back up again in a little bit."

Harry shifted forward a little, his eyes intent. "How many times can you come in a night? Do you take anything to help?"

John shook his head. "We don't take anything, no. And I can probably come two or three times. When he's this deep, I can probably get Rodney to come once or twice more than that, as long as I give him some time in between to recover."

"But you're almost forty!"

"So?" He shrugged. "I'm not saying I could do it in an hour, but through the night it's just a matter of resting a bit in between, and then a lot of foreplay to get us both aroused."

Rodney's fingers brushed John's thigh again, the touch feather-light.

He turned his head, smiling softly at his lover. "You still have my attention, buddy. You're too beautiful not to."

He moaned a little louder, arching up off the lounge, trying to shift closer to John.

John reached over, using the back of his hand to caress Rodney's cheek.

He trembled, pressing into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed.

"So beautiful..."

"So, are you going to do anything else to him?"

John's eyes didn't leave his sub. "Of course. I brought a whole bag of toys to play with."

There was a long silence which John spent caressing Rodney's face, before Harry finally spoke up again. "Can you…I want to see what you use on him. Before we leave." He added the last few words in a rush.

One eyebrow going up, John glanced back. "If you just want to see what I brought, you're more than welcome. They're in my bag. As a matter of fact..." John leaned down to pull out the nipple clamps. "I think it's time we added these."

"Peter continues to remind me that it's rude to go through people's stuff."

"Well, when you have permission it's not." John winked at him, handing over the bag as he looked at Rodney. Carefully, he put the clamps in place, giving them a gentle tug to make sure they were settled.

Rodney arched up, moaning loudly through the gag, trying to curl up a little.

John waited until his sub had sat back, relaxing into the sensations a bit. Then he toyed with one nipple, making sure he didn't tug it off accidently.

Every touch—even the very light ones—pulled a muffled howling moan from his sub. Oversensitive. Good. This was going to be fun.

Sitting back again, John smiled. "Very nice."

"I thought you said he likes this."

"He does."

"But doesn't it hurt?"

"At first, when they go on, and more when they come off. But in between, it makes his nipples exquisitely sensitive. Even the slightest touch feels good at that point. Right, buddy?" John had noticed that his subs eyes were open again, dark with arousal and deeply in headspace.

He shifted, arching off the lounge again, trying to get closer to John.

With a naughty grin, John ducked his head and used his tongue on the abused little nub.

The shudder that went through Rodney's body nearly dislodged John, but he wasn't giving up that easily. His sub squirmed and moaned as John teased him, panting and howling around the gag.

When he finally let up, he was pleased to see that Rodney was hard as a rock again, and leaking. He fondled his sub to hide the fact that he was mentally turning on and turning up the vibrations.

With his head thrown back and his neck exposed, Rodney trembled nearly continuously now, arousal and desperation mingling.

Sitting back again, John just wanted to observe. "I love you like this. So open and needy. But you won't come until I'm ready for it, will you?"

Rodney sobbed, tugging at the restraints at his wrists.

"Mmm, maybe later I'll let you touch me again. But right now, I don't want to be distracted."

"Distracted from what?" Harry asked, sounding a little breathless.

"How amazing he looks. When he starts touching me, I can't focus on him. It feels too good." John flicked the other nipple, loving how responsive Rodney was to it.

"But you only added one thing. You have a whole bag-full."

"I know." John shot Harry a dirty grin. "I have enough to last me all night if I want to."

Harry handed it back to John with a shaking hand. "Can you…"

He was pretty sure Peter was as aroused as Harry was, from the look on his friend's face. He was just trying harder to hide it. "Can I what?"

"Do more?"

John looked at Rodney, then nodded to himself. He rose, and, without giving Rodney an option or the chance to touch, he rearranged and re-locked him down, this time on his hands and knees, legs spread as far as the lounger would let him. Such a pretty ass. John gave it a brief slap, and smiled at the moan he got for it. From his bag, he pulled out their new, soft, pleasure paddle.

"You're going to…." The rest of Harry's sentence was swallowed down with a quiet moan.

John gave Rodney's ass a few swats, letting Harry—and everyone else in the area—hear just how much his sub liked it, wanted it. He was already starting to rock as much as the restraints would allow, trying to get more. "This one is designed to feel very, very good. No pain. I have others for that, but that's not what I want tonight."

"Oh…" Harry's voice was full of arousal and surprise.

John carefully placed each swat, making sure to cover all of Rodney's ass, bringing it to a light, rosy pink. "When I'm done with this, I'm going to use a dildo and fuck him with it. Slowly, so slowly he'll be sobbing and begging through his gag."

"What….what about the…the other stuff?"

"I'll get to it. Or not. There's always tomorrow for any toys I don't get around to using."

"But…what about the blindfold and earplugs?" John almost laughed. Harry was such a voyeur.

"Maybe. Or maybe you could convince Peter to try them on you."

"I thought Rodney liked them."

"He does. But I'm the one who decides what we use—or not—tonight." John continued to use the paddle, stopping every now and then to caress the glowing globes with his bare hand.

"But don't you want him really deep in headspace?"

"He already is." John fished one of the larger dildos he had brought with him for the night out of his bag. He slicked it up, and pulled the plug free from Rodney's body, replacing it with a slow stretch.

By the time it was pressed all the way in, Rodney was sobbing around the gag in his mouth, his face pressed into the lounge cushions. There were various moans and sounds all around him, but the most interesting were his sub's noises, of course.

"But don't you want him deeper?"

John didn't respond, too intent on Rodney now. He withdrew the dildo just as slowly as he had pressed it in, stopping when just the head was still inside.

Rodney knew better than to push back, but from the tension in his sub's body, John knew it was only Rodney's determination to stick to his training that was keeping him still.

"Very, very good. I'm proud of you," John purred the praise softly, and rewarded Rodney by pushing the dildo back in, just as slow, but filling him, giving him the stretch and burn he craved.

The soft moan from behind him was a little startling. It sounded like… But no. They wouldn't do that here.

He glanced back, curious despite himself.

Harry's back was pressed against Peter's chest, mouth open slightly as he panted. Peter's hand…his hand was inside Harry's opened pants.

Smiling, John turned his attention back to Rodney, to tearing those perfect sounds of his sub, sending him spiraling higher and higher.

His cock was hanging heavy between his legs, red and angry, pre-come dripping from the tip. The chain from the nipple clamps swayed back and forth with every shift of his weight, tugging and pulling and increasing the sensations his body was humming and vibrating with.

"So beautiful, Rodney. Perfect. Such a good boy for me."

The black dildo was dark against his reddened skin, the blush of color on his otherwise pale body.

John kept up the slow torture until Rodney was keening into his gag, begging, desperate, pushed to the point of what he could endure—and then a little beyond. Smiling, John suddenly, without warning, rammed the dildo in hard, right against his sub's prostate. "Come."

Rodney howled as John's command was accompanied by the instant loosening of the Ancient ring. His climax hit him hard, his body shaking as the pleasure tore through him. He went completely limp, falling down into an awkward pile nearly a minute later, arms and legs bent at weird angles. The aftershocks continued to make his muscles twitch even though he was unconscious.

Humming, John pulled the toy free and set it aside, using some wipes to clean off his lover, and then carefully shifted and rearranged him so when he woke up, he wouldn't be stiff. "So fucking hot."

There was a soft noise behind him and he turned, glancing at his friends. Harry was panting quietly, eyes closed tightly as he leaned back against Peter. There was a wetness on his chest and his friend looked a little abashed if proud.

John winked at Peter, but decided to wait to let his friend decide when he was ready to actually talk. For himself, John was hard again, but not really ready to come yet, so he just enjoyed the buzz of arousal and the weight of his sub pressed against his side, the sounds of pleasure all around them.

Every few seconds his lover would twitch a little, his muscles still recovering from the powerful orgasm. When John felt movement in Rodney's hand, though—the slow curling of his fingers against John's chest—he knew he was waking.

Opening eyes that had drifted shut, he looked down at his beautiful lover. "Hey there."

Rodney shifted against him, moaning quietly.

John pressed a kiss into the other man's hair, content for the moment to let him rouse slowly.

He shivered, pressing closer to John, snuggling in.

"Getting cold?"

His arm wrapped around John's waist, holding tightly, and he shifted, burying his nose in John's armpit.

"I'll take that as a no. Enjoy yourself for a few minutes, buddy."

"We…ah…we should probably get going soon," Peter said quietly a few moments later.

"Mmmm?" John glanced back over. Harry was looking relaxed and more content than John had seen him in a while. "About had enough, huh?"

"Well, it's getting late."

"Not really." John didn't have a watch on, but he couldn't imagine it was all that late. "What time is it?"

"Just about eight, sir," said a passing waitress, not even pausing as she gracefully walked through the tables and chairs.

John flashed a quick smile at her retreating back before shrugging at Peter. "If you guys want to head out, you're more than welcome. We'll probably be here for a few more hours."

"You're going to do more?"

"Probably. I'll see how I feel, but I can't imagine I won't."

"You're going to have to carry him back to the room."

"They won't clear this area tonight. If he gets too worn out, we can always sleep here. It's a nice enough night for it."

"You'd just stay here?" Peter didn't sound convinced.

"Why not? These loungers are comfortable enough."

"But…" he started, trailing off. He shook his head a moment later. "I guess I don't understand why you like this."

"Which part?" John gave Peter a wry smile. "The dom/sub thing, the public sex thing, or the sleeping outside thing?"

Rodney nuzzled against him, humming quietly, as Peter replied. "I guess the public sex thing. We've been through the rest of it enough."

"That's just a personal kink of mine, and I'm lucky that my partner has caught on and enjoys it as much as I do now. I guess for me it satisfies that part of my personality that likes to take risks."

"Your job isn't enough?"

"It drives Rodney crazy, too. But I promised him I'd try to curb the dangerous hero stuff a bit."

"By having public sex."

"No, it's not a trade off. I'll still risk my life to keep my people safe when necessary. I'll just try harder to prevent situations from deteriorating that far whenever possible, or find other alternatives. The fact that he lets me have this is just a bonus."

Peter sighed quietly, his eyes narrowing a bit. "So…risky missions in Antarctica."

Blinking, John silently cursed himself. "Ahh, yeah. We aren't actually on base a lot. We just make that our... central launching point, so to speak."

"Uh huh. So the penguins are dangerous down there."

"You'd be surprised. Those things are fucking vicious."

"Uh huh," Peter nodded slowly, but John knew he didn't believe one word of it. "Look. I know it's all classified—you've mentioned it a few times already—but you should probably get yourself a better cover story. We both know you lied to that girl before—and you didn't do a very good job of it."

"She caught me off guard," John sighed. "Her brother was court-marshaled for drugging and harassing me, among other things. I... thinking about it started giving me flashbacks and I couldn't think straight enough to sound more convincing, but she seemed nice, and I didn't want to disillusion her."

"That the one you came back for?"

He nodded, another small shudder running through him. "Yes. It... I don't crave it, the drug, often anymore. But sometimes, it catches me, this need, I want it, want to feel that again, and..."

"And you don't want to feel weak like that again."

"It's not weak, it's... I was captured and drugged against my will. It made me feel... really, really good, to the point where it erased my sense of self, who I was. I did what I was told, thought what I was told, because it meant I got more. When I was rescued, it took... a while, for me to feel like myself again."

"And this…Smythe used it on you again."

"He got a sample and yes, him and some others ambushed me, managed to tie me down before I could fight." John closed his eyes, hating the flutter of fear that coursed through him, even now. "They gave it to me, and then left me there, tied up and begging, naked, desperate. I don't know how long I was there before someone found me."

"And yet you do it to Rodney."

"There's a big difference between consensual bondage between partners, and rape."

"True. But it's certainly…interesting to see given your history."

Sighing, John looked up again. "To be honest, if we hadn't already had this kind of relationship, I doubt we would have headed in that direction. As it is, it took me a while to get back to this point again."

"And Rodney?"

"He was taken by a different group, and also abused. It was just as hard for him, in different ways. The fact that we managed to stay together, and we're stronger for it, is nothing short of amazing, frankly."

"I thought you'd told me Smythe had done something to Rodney, back when you were here for the trial."

John squeezed his partner, needing the reassurance. "When I wouldn't cave in and give them what they wanted, they did the same thing to him in an effort to show me that everything I cared about would be destroyed if I didn't cooperate. Fortunately, we stopped them before they really hurt him, but they did manage to drug him before we arrived."

"Before they really hurt him? What were they planning?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I was kept out of the investigation, and not allowed to sit through that part of the testimony. At the time I was still recovering, so it was considered a mental hazard. They were worried it would be the proverbial straw that would push me over the edge. The only good thing is that the damn drug isn't addictive with one dose. They're pretty sure it took several days of almost constant dosing for me to get so addicted I couldn't stop without being tied to a bed. Rodney only got one, so it wasn't enough to cause him any permanent harm."

Peter nodded, his eyes soft. "The Iraqi sympathizers are the worse kind of traitors. You know I don't approve of the military or what they're doing, but those people…I’m just glad you're better. Both of you."

John wished he could correct his friend, but he couldn't not without giving away too much, so he just licked his lips and gave Peter a weak smile. "Thanks. Most of the time, I'm able to pretend it never happened, but sometimes, when I'm reminded like that... it takes me by surprise."

"I can imagine." He shifted glancing down at his slumbering partner. "I should probably put him to bed."

Huffing a small laugh, John nodded. "He'll probably sleep really well tonight. I know Rodney always does after these types of things. For some reason, the atmosphere just makes it that much more intense."

"We're flying out tomorrow night. Have a red-eye back. You still have a few more days, don't you?"

"You're leaving already?" John was surprised. "Yeah, we're still here a few more days."

"Some of us have work to do, you know."

John gave in to the small child in him, and stuck out his tongue, getting a startled laugh from Peter. "I know, and it's been great visiting with you guys. We will see you before you head out tomorrow, right?"

Peter nodded. "If you're up for it after tonight. I'm sorry about the drama."

"It happens, and if it means you guys fix some of the problems, then it was worth it. And yes, we'll be up for it. I don't want to not say goodbye."

"Okay, good. I'll call this time instead of walking in," he said with a smile as he shifted, gently shaking Harry. "Come on, let's get you home."

Harry muttered, not really awake, but he did move where Peter prodded him, leaning heavily against his partner. John watched them go, and shook his head. What a week.

Rodney shifted against him, his hand tightening for a moment against John's back before relaxing again. He nuzzled John's side before turning his head, eyes blinking lazily, the lashes of his right eye brushing against John's skin.

"Hi, there. How much of that did you actually catch?"

He blinked a few more times before letting out a contented sigh.

"So pretty much none of it. Good." John kissed his lover's forehead. "I love you."

Rodney hummed quietly, his fingers stroking John's back.

Smiling, John hugged him a bit more tightly for a moment, then relaxed, still content to just relax for the moment.

They stayed curled up together for a long while, John letting his mind drift a little as the constant stroke of his sub's fingers gentled him. Rodney shifted finally onto his side, his knee resting on John's thigh. His hand had moved to the waistband of John's pants, fingers tickling the hairs on his stomach.

"Hmm?"

Rodney paused there for a moment, his left hand hesitating before his questing fingers slid under stroking the leather-warmed skin.

John's cock, which had gone down while he had been relaxing, was more than happy to perk up, jumping right into his sub's hand.

Rodney moaned quietly, shifting against John.

"Touch me, but don't make me come yet."

He moaned again, his eyelashes brushing against John's skin as he closed his eyes again. His hand, though, started moving, stroking John nice and slow.

John spread his legs a bit to give his sub more access, letting his head fall back so he could just focus on enjoying his own pleasure and nothing else for a few minutes.

Rodney rocked against him a few times, his hardening cock brushing against John's thigh as he continued to stroke John. He could feel the shivers of arousal in his sub, hear the change in his breathing.

Lifting his head, John let his lover see how aroused he was. "I'm going to take the gag off, but it's not so you can talk. You're going to suck me. You're not going to make me come yet."

He moaned, shifting so John could reach the back of his head where he'd locked the gag in place.

He made quick work of it, setting aside the gag, and opening his pants so his sub had full access.

Rodney immediately slid down under the table and between John's legs, banging his back against the edge in his rush to reach John's cock. Less than a minute later and his mouth was wrapped around John.

John gave everything up, arching and moaning into the sensation. It was so fucking good to lose himself in his lover like this.

His sub knew how to tease him, how to bring him to the edge and then let him relax before starting it all over again. He was humming in contentment, head bobbing in a constant rhythm.

With a groan, John just rode it out, loving every second of it. "God, so good, so fucking good..."

Rodney loved cock. Loved it in him. Loved it any which way he could have it.

"How...how long can you keep this up? Keep me hard without coming? If you can make it to a half-hour, then make me come... God..."

Rodney didn't even alter his movements, didn't change anything. He was lost in his own little world, following the direction John had given him.

John let one hand come to rest in his sub's hair, adjusting his movements every now and then, but otherwise just letting Rodney have it all.

His sub slowed down a little, shifting on his knees and then pressed in, letting John's cock in even deeper. John swore he could feel Rodney's pulse through the head of his cock from where it was pressed deep in his throat. Rodney held it there—completely still—his breath held in check as John obstructed his airway.

John tightened his grip, holding his sub in place for a few long moments before forcing him to come up for air. He gave Rodney a mental-three-count before repeating.

God. Rodney moved and shifted so easily in his hands, trusting John so deeply.

It was stunning. John didn't know if anyone else was paying any attention to them any more, but if they were, they were witnessing the perfect sub.

John held Rodney in place until he saw his eyelashes fluttering, until it was almost too much. He pulled him away, giving him the opportunity to breathe. He wasn't going to do it again, but Rodney was shifting—a three-count later—to deep-throat him again.

"No."

Rodney whined around John's cock, trying again to shift, to move.

"No. I appreciate your desire to do anything to make me feel good, but I won't allow you to injure yourself for it."

He whimpered again, begging, pleading without words.

John used a finger to tilt his lover's face up. "If I let you do it, I want your promise that you'll stop when it starts to hurt."

Rodney blinked once immediately, his eyes dark with arousal.

"Good boy."

As soon as John released his grip, Rodney was sliding down his cock, going even deeper into Rodney's throat.

With a startled moan, John had to suck in a breath.

A long moment passed before John realized Rodney wasn't going to move.

With a sigh, he used his grip in Rodney's hair to pull his sub back up again. "You have to breathe."

He gasped around John's cock, the air flowing into his lungs once again. But even before he could have recovered he was already trying to go down on John again, his determination a little freaky.

"Rodney." John held fast.

He stilled immediately, breathing heavily.

"What are you trying to prove?"

John could feel Rodney's pulse hammering in his neck, but his sub didn't move, didn't shift. He was gently holding John in his mouth and obviously listening—he wasn't doing anything else but.

"I love you, no matter what. You're absolutely perfect. I don't need you to prove anything to me."

He moaned quietly, the vibrations traveling up John's cock.

"You have my full and undivided attention. I'm not paying attention to anything else. You don't need to hurt yourself to get that."

Rodney moaned again, the sound vaguely disagreeable.

"Come up here." John tugged.

John wasn't sure Rodney was going to let go of him, but he did, sliding off with a wet pop. John settled him against his chest, holding him close.

"I love you."

Rodney's hand drifted across John's nipple, his thumb fingering it carefully.

Gasping, John couldn't stop his body's reaction. It felt too damn good.

His sub did it again, his touch just as light and fleeting. A tease.

The gasp this time had a chuckle, too. He recognized an apology when he saw one, and gave his sub silent approval and permission to keep going.

Rodney turned in John's arms, latching onto the closest nipple with his mouth as his left hand continued to play with John's other nipple.

"Oh god, yeah...."

He chuckled lightly, continuing his ministrations. He shifted into John's lap at some point, straddling his legs. In the middle somewhere, Rodney's right hand wrapped around his cock as he directed it toward his ass, settling down with a deep moan. There was hardly any lube—if pre-come even counted as lube—but Rodney barely flinched.

John knew he should object. He was just happy there was still some lube and come in there from their previous play. That was about as far as his thought processes went, his mind getting overwhelmed with pleasure.

Rodney eventually shifted upward, his mouth meeting John's—hungry and dirty—as his hands continued to tweak and play with John's nipples.

They kissed deep and dirty, and John was fast getting to the point where he couldn't hold it back any longer.

As soon as his sub started to move up and down on his cock…that was the final straw.

John broke the kiss to scream his release, the long delay from before, and the slow buildup getting to him.

He woke at some undetermined time later, sprawled over Rodney on the lounge.

"Nnngh."

His sub's arms tightened around him, but he was otherwise silent.

"Y'okay?"

Rodney nodded and John could feel the press of a leather strap against his cheek. Had Rodney put the gag back in?

He cracked an eye.

Sure enough, there it was. Rodney's eyes were closed and he was breathing easily.

Huh. Well, John didn't mind, and if it made his lover more content, it was a good thing.

It was darker—much darker than it had been earlier. The outside lights providing a soft glow around the patio.

Looking up, he was pleased to see a pitcher of water, glass, and a tray of finger-foods for them to enjoy. He popped one in his mouth, suddenly starving.

He glanced down at his sub, smiling when he caught the barest hint of blue.

"Mmmm, hi there, sexy."

Rodney hummed quietly, his eyes opening a little wider as he shifted under John, hands stroking the skin along his back.

John hummed, still too blissed out to be up for much more than that.

His sub's hands were strong and sure, his touch firm and soothing at the same time. One of his feet drifted, rubbing against John's calf through the leather pants.

"This is a perfect night. You're perfect."

Rodney just tugged him closer, releasing a long contented sigh. John could feel his hard length against him, but his sub wasn't complaining, wasn't demanding anything more than what they had. God. It had taken a long time for Rodney to come to this point, to be so trusting, so content to wait on John.

The rest of the evening passed in a semi-state of bliss. John just enjoyed his sub, enjoyed being able to share the experience with the other couples around them. He got his lover off a few more times before Rodney was almost boneless, and John himself was feeling like doing an imitation of a puddle. Shifting around on the lounger, he got them both comfortable, wrapping his arms around the man who had become the center of his universe. And they both drifted into an easy sleep.

***

John woke up with the sun, to find others around him dozing, and light breakfast on the table. He spotted a few resort workers with carafes floating around, and figured as soon as they were seen moving, coffee would be coming.

Coffee would be very good.

Rodney was a solid presence under him, chest rising and falling with an even motion.

Not wanting to rouse his sub just yet, John moved carefully, managing to sit up without waking the other man.

"Coffee, sir?" It was as if she appeared out of thin air, silent until she spoke. She'd be great on raids.

His lips quirked up at the thought, but he nodded to her. "Yes, please. And keep it coming. Once my sub wakes up, I know he'll want some too."

"Of course, sir," she said quietly. She poured a large mug, setting it on the table. "Milk? Sugar?"

"Both."

She dug in the front of her apron for the sugar, leaving several packets on the table. "I'll be back with more in a moment when I return with the milk. Did you need anything else? There's a doctor making rounds, as well, if you need his services."

He could imagine why some of the subs might need one, given how they were treated. But he shook his head. "No, but thanks. I take pretty good care of him."

"Of course, sir. He'll available in his offices if you need him. I'll be right back." She offered a smile and left on nearly silent feet.

He took the opportunity to look around a bit more, take in some of the other couples. It was a mixed bag, of people who were probably like him and Rodney, dedicated to one another, and those like the slave owner from the previous night, who saw subs as commodities.

Rodney stirred before settling once again less than a minute later, his fingers twitching a little from where they rested on his stomach. There was dried come still on his chest, a few of the hairs making up an amusing swirling pattern where they were plastered to his skin.

John flagged down another waitress, who had some warm, damp cloths, and carefully wiped down the worst of the spots, using the soft, dry towel she offered when he was done to make sure Rodney wasn't going to get chilly.

By the time he was finished, his sub was awake, watching him through half-open eyes. He looked content, sated. It was a good look for him.

"When you're ready, I'll feed you some breakfast. I have coffee here, too."

Rodney nodded slightly, but otherwise didn't move, his eyes fixed on John's face.

Holding out a hand, John opened his legs a bit in an invitation for Rodney to crawl closer.

His sub didn't hesitate, shifting around on the lounge so he was lying with his head in John's lap, curled up slightly on his side.

Rodney's hair was so soft, John didn't bother to try and resist the urge to run his fingers through it.

Rodney arched into John's touch, just like a cat, humming in approval. The leather strap from the gag, however, got in the way.

Reaching around, John unhooked it and pulled it free. For now, he replaced the leather with his fingers, giving Rodney something to suck on.

His tongue swirled around John's thumb, caressing it while he sucked lightly—exactly what he liked to do with John's cock.

His body gave a hopeful twitch, but it wasn't quite ready for more fun just yet.

Rodney's body was relaxed in a way that only it could get after multiple orgasms. He seemed years younger like this, but John knew that even if it were possible to go back in time Rodney had never trusted someone so openly back then. It stilled awed him that Rodney gave him this, gave him everything, really.

He selected a piece of fruit and teased at the edges of Rodney's lips with it.

His lover shifted, rolling onto his back, the juice dripping down his cheek as the fruit pressed against his lips. Rodney opened his mouth, his clear blue eyes fixed on John's face above him.

Slowly, sensually, John fed his sub, making sure to eat his own fair share along the way. He also made sure they both got enough caffeine in them that there would be no headaches later.

Rodney reached up at one point, grasping John's hand before he could grab another piece of the waffle strips, holding it still.

"Mmm?"

He licked his lips, his words a whisper when he finally spoke. "Bathroom?"

"Hmm, probably. Can you wait a bit longer? Or do we need to head back to our suite now?"

"Soon. Please."

"All right." John stood up slowly, unfolding himself.

Rodney had shifted, rolling to a seated position to give John room to move, but then waited patiently for direction. His eyes, though, scanned the area, finally looking at where he'd spent the night.

"Questions?"

His skin had turned a slight pink as he took in everything—the raised patio section, the number of tables and chairs—but he shook his head.

"You were fantastic. I think you were the highlight of the whole event."

He turned his head toward John at that comment, narrowing his eyes a little. The pink in his cheeks, though, softened his face and his expression of disbelief.

"You were. You're so damn hot, you set off whole orgies."

"All you," he whispered, reaching out for John's hand.

"Us," John conceded that much, at least.

"You."

"Come on, let's go get cleaned up." John decided not to press the point. He was too relaxed right now.

Rodney nodded, rising to his feet when John urged him. He hissed a little, but fell in beside him a few seconds later.

They started off slow, meandering, winding their way through the people still sprawled around the area. "How's your ass feeling? It was pretty well-fucked last night."

"Sore," Rodney admitted quietly. "Conflicted, too."

"Conflicted?"

He glanced up, his blush intensifying a little. "It's sore, but it wants more."

A startled laugh works its way out of John. "We'll see. I want to shower when we get back, and see for myself how your ass looks."

Rodney smiled sheepishly before looking away, nodding to John. "I know. I just…I don't want this to end."

John caught his hand, squeezing it. "Me neither. But if we had this all the time, with no break, eventually you would get bitter that you were being kept away from science, and I'd get restless from being in one place too long."

"Right now, I don't think I care."

Squeezing again, John gave his partner a crooked grin. "To be honest, me neither. But we still have a few days left."

"I know. It's still not long enough." Rodney sighed quietly. "I think I understand some…stuff now."

"Oh?"

Rodney paused for a long moment. "I think right now…right now, I'd give up science for this."

Stopping in his tracks, John's eyes widened.

"I know, I know…it sounds like I've lost my mind, but for the first time I can ever remember, I don't have to worry about anything other than what makes you happy. I don't have to worry about who's going to die because of the technology and…things I can build. I don't have to worry about the different governments chasing me, wanting me for weapons development."

John used their joined hands to pull Rodney in closer. "You know I'd give up anything, everything, for you. If you don't want to go back, we don't have to."

"I…" he started, breaking off. "I don't know," he finally whispered.

Kissing his sub's forehead, John got them walking again. "We don't have to make any decisions right now. We still have a few days of vacation left to think about it."

"I know." Rodney was quiet, but John could tell he was unsettled after his revelation.

They walked in silence for a while, John pondering Rodney's revelation, and how it made him feel. He was a little startled to realize he would take being ground-bound for the rest of his life if it meant having this, them.

But, would Rodney really be happy? Would he? It was different to have this for a week or ten days. But what about weeks or months? That was a different story altogether.

He shook his head, ending the endless circles. He was glad they were back at the rooms. "Come on, let's get cleaned up and changed."

Rodney nodded, a soft "sorry" falling from his lips.

"Nothing to be sorry about." John pulled him close, kissing him softly. "I was just thinking about it, how it would work. We couldn't do this all day, every day. We'd have to have some sort of life outside the bedroom, otherwise, we'd just both be chafed. It would be a different sort of life than either of us have led before, but... the idea isn't completely horrible. It's a little scary that I could see you teaching math or science in a small town, and I could fly private jets."

Rodney chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Chafing is never good, but teaching wasn't on my agenda, honestly. My thoughts were a little more…specific."

"Oh?" John led them into the bathroom, taking care of both of their calls of nature why they chatted.

"Teaching would require clothing," he said simply.

"You would want to be a full-time sub?"

Rodney blushed, but nodded.

John considered it as he stripped. "What about when I was out of the house? I'd have to bring you up far enough to be able to function in those instances."

"I know, but that's easy stuff. Cleaning or cooking or eating." He shrugged. "I'm just…it's probably just a screwed up fantasy, but there are some distinct benefits to that kind of a life."

"There are, along with some drawbacks. Let's think, and talk about it, come up with every pro and con we can think of. If the pros outweigh the cons, we'll hand in our resignations."

Rodney paused, shock on his face. "You'd give up flying?"

"Yes. You're bigger, more important to me, than flying."

"No," Rodney said stepping forward, his fingers landing on John's lips. "Don't say that. I can't…I won't be the person to take flying away from you."

"I don't have to give it up, not completely. We could buy ourselves a small jet. We'd fix it up to be our personal mode of transportation, with all our toys and luxuries, anywhere we want to go. And for the record, I feel the same way about you and science. You love it, love inventing. If we do this, I don't want you to give it up completely. Just working on pet projects or things that interest you is fine, but I don't want to be the one to make you give it up entirely."

"You wouldn't. It would be my choice."

"So is flying, for me."

"This is my idea, not yours. You wouldn't have even thought about it if I hadn't brought it up."

"I have thought about it, more than once. It would be really, really nice to wake up to you every day, never worrying about who saw us, or what they thought. Never seeing you in danger, worrying that one of us won't make it home..."

"But I know we can't," Rodney whispered, sounding almost broken in a way.

"We can. There's nothing stopping us, if we decide it's what we want."

"The SGC won't let us."

"It's not their decision."

Rodney stepped closer, wrapping his arms around John. "In some ways," he said, face pressed in against John's neck, "they own me even more than you do."

"No." John kissed the side of his lover's neck. "If we decide not to go back, resign our position, nothing will stop us. We'll find a way."

"I read my contract, John, before we left. They…I should have known better than to sign it, but I wanted to go to Atlantis so badly."

"What clause are you worried about?"

"It's just…the whole thing. They have me for the next ten years of my life and can place me wherever they see fit." He sighed again, shifting against John. "I'm sorry. I woke up last night in the middle of the night sometime and my mind just started spinning a little and I know you told me not to worry about the contract thing before we left, but it's still there."

Ah ha. So that's why he'd put the gag on, to try and slow himself down again. "They might be bastards sometimes, but I can't imagine they won't let you leave if you want to, as long as you promise to not reveal classified information. They won't get any work out of you anyway if you're there against your will. So it's counter-productive."

Rodney shook his head. "I know better."

"We'll worry about that when we come to it. No sense in doing it now, before we've made any decisions."

"Sorry. I seem to have ruined all of your work," Rodney said after a few moments.

"Not really. You're still relaxed. Thinking about the future and tension don't have to go hand in hand you know." John smiled at him.

"I just…can you make me forget again? Stop my brain from going?" His fingers twitched against John's back and he knew Rodney was gesturing with them while also trying not to let go.

"Of course."

Rodney relaxed against him, some of the tension draining from his body at John's agreement. "Thank you."

As they showered, John systematically brought his lover back down, until, by the time they were dry and back out in the living room, Rodney was deep enough in headspace again that he wasn't really thinking anymore.

He settled him on his pillow in the middle of the room and then locked his ankles together, adjusting his stance until he was happy with Rodney's placement. He secured his wrists together behind his back, petting and stroking him for a few minutes until he felt his sub's muscles give a little more.

Good. John sat on the couch next to his lover, closing his eyes for a minute.

The cabin was quiet, the sounds of the ocean and the breeze outside the only things floating in through the open windows—until Rodney started shifting on his knees and tugging at the restraints a little.

"Hmm?" John opened his eyes again.

Rodney was staring at him, his blue eyes wide and pleading. Okay. Not as far down as he originally thought.

Rising again, John moved to his sub's side, cupping his face, stroking the skin and stubble with his thumb. After a moment, he went into the bedroom and got a variety of items. When he returned, the first thing he did was gag his lover again.

The quiet moan and the tremor that rolled through his lover told him enough. This was what he needed.

John added earplugs next, and then a blindfold. Rodney was secured to the floor, all his senses removed.

He stepped back, watching, waiting to see if anything else would be needed. His sub's body would tell him. The twitch of a muscle, the release of tension, the subtle shift that signaled his further submission.

Rodney was panting around the gag, moaning a little as he adjusted.

With a mental flick, he tightened the cock ring and kicked on the vibrations.

His sub shuddered and moaned loudly, but there….yes, the release John was looking for. He knew Rodney would drop even further as the morning hours rolled on, but for now…this was enough.

Nodding to himself, he sat back down, relaxing to the sounds of Rodney's arousal.

He could watch Rodney like this for hours, watch him slowly fall apart, watch him give over more and more to John.

He was expecting the knock a while later, since Peter and Harry were leaving today. He got up to let them in, leading them back into the living room so he could keep an eye on Rodney.

"You look more rested than I thought you'd be," Peter said with a smile, his eyes drifting toward Rodney before returning to John.

"We ended up falling asleep out there, and came back this morning. We'll take it pretty easy today though."

"Take it easy?" Peter didn't have to look, but John knew he was referring to Rodney's current state of submission. They settled into the opposite couch, Harry shifting so he was in the circle of Peter's arm.

"Yeah, nothing too heavy. Rodney's only like this because he asked for it. He was thinking about going back when he came up earlier, and wasn't ready to start worrying yet. So I put him back down."

Peter nodded, lips tightening a little, only noticeable if you were looking. "So, when do you think you'll be able to get leave again?"

John sighed. "I have no idea. We were talking about not going back at all, but there are... challenges to that. For one, it would mean convincing the military to release me from service, and he's under contract, so we would have to find a way to get him released. It would be hard to not go back, but... not having to hide that we're together is really, really nice."

"I can't imagine that you'd give up your posting for this."

Looking away, John shrugged. "We haven't made any final decisions yet. Both options are hard, in different ways."

"Mmm," Peter said, non-committedly. "So, six months, a year?"

"Probably a year, if we go back. Senior staff rotates when we can take extended leave, and a lot has to be shuffled to allow the two of us to be gone at the same time. Odds are good we won't get vacation again until next year some time."

"You going to come back here?"

"Probably not, as great as it is. I'd like to come back here again at some point, but I'd like to visit with you guys, and Roger and Sue, again. Maybe we can plan something. I'd love to take you all up in the air."

Peter chuckled. "Don't you get enough air time?"

"There is no such thing." John grinned at him. "You haven't lived until you've been in the air."

"I fly all the time. It's a convenience."

"You fly commercial." John gave an exaggerated shudder. "That's not the same at all."

Peter shrugged. "It gets me where I need to go."

"Flying is about more than just getting from Point A to Point B."

"I guess for some it is," Peter said with a smile. "You head back to Colorado in a few days, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that's our stop-in station to be briefed before we continue on."

"How many days will you be there before you're officially shipped to your assignment?"

"It varies, but my guess is a few days. They'll have to get us up to speed on everything that's happened while we were gone, and we'll have to have full medical checks before we can move on. Those always take a few days to complete, and then we have to wait for the results to come back clean."

Peter nodded. "It's always something, isn't it?"

"Rodney is half-convinced they take so much blood from us because they're trying to clone us or something." John laughed

"I didn't think they could do that yet. I mean, sheep is one thing. Humans are something else entirely."

Whoops. John was starting to tread on dangerous water. He really wished he could tell his friends the truth. "Yeah, but they have to start somewhere, right? In the meantime, we're probably two of the healthiest people you'll ever meet."

"If a little skinny."

He looked down at himself. "I'm not skinny. Just lean. Toned."

"Skinnier than you were when you were here last."

"Maybe." He shrugged. "I do a lot of running, working out, all kinds of physical activity. I thought I was in good shape before, but I don't think I knew the meaning of the word."

"You make the scientists work out, too?"

"If they're going to be in the field, yes. They're required to do a certain amount of training with both weapons and physical fitness. They also have to pass an obstacle course to prove they're ready for it."

"Rodney passed?"

"Of course. Why?"

Peter was quiet, gently rubbing Harry's shoulder. "I didn't think he'd agree to something like that. He's not…" He said, trailing off, but John heard it. He's not like you. He's not a solider. He's not a killer.

Looking at his lover, John sighed. "I wish he didn't have to be. I'd give a lot to keep him safe and ignorant in the labs. But that's not what he wants, and to be honest, it was killing him before I met him. So all I can do is make sure I do everything possible to make sure he's prepared for anything that might come up, and then stick by his side."

"So he can fire a gun?"

"Yes."

Peter nodded, stroking Harry's arm. "I still don't understand why you do what you do when it's so obvious that it's so dangerous to you and your partner. Every email we do get from you—as few as they are—mentions problems and situations where you almost died."

"I know. And I wish I could tell you everything. I think you would understand if I could. It's... we're part of something amazing, Peter. It's dangerous, yes, but the rewards..."

"If you're dead you can't enjoy them."

"I know it's hard to understand, but... we aren't doing this for ourselves. We're doing it for you, for everyone in the world. You might not ever know all the details, but we fight and die for you."

"I see the news reports, John. You're in over your head."

News? Ahh, Iraq. "Believe it or not, there's more going on than you could ever imagine."

"It's a given that the government doesn't tell us everything. Why do you think I subscribe to satellite television?"

Chuckling, John nodded. "Some day, I have high hopes that the portion I'm working on will be declassified enough that I can tell you more. I'd love to share some of the more interesting stories with you."

Peter snorted, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. At least John seemed to have de-railed the more uncomfortable part of their on-going conversation about his job. "So we're planning on grabbing lunch around three and then head over to the airport. It's still…five or six hours from now. We can wander around or hang with you. I don't know what you were planning."

"I really don't have any plans, but I would like to visit a bit more, since I won't see you again for a while."

"Whatever you want, John." His eyes drifted back to Rodney who'd quieted down during the course of their conversation.

"So what are your plans for the immediate future? Anything new and exciting?"

Peter shifted on the couch, tugging Harry a little closer. The smaller man had been quiet—amazingly so—simply resting against his partner. "The first thing is I'm going to hire a business manager—a new one—for the club. I need someone to do the bulk of the travel."

That was really awesome to hear, and John beamed at him. "Good! You can find someone who will be able to help out a lot more than the current guy does."

"I don't want to get rid of Mario. He's been with us for…a very long time. Since just after we opened, but with his wife sick, he really can't travel." He squeezed Harry's shoulder. "We haven't decided what we want to do exactly, but we'll work it out I'm sure. Maybe he'll just take care of the day-to-day stuff."

"What about keeping him as your official office manager, and hire someone to be the club manager, as a separate job. That position could be the one that does the travel, and is in the club nights, and Mario could handle the day stuff, paperwork, etc. Make them equals, with shared responsibility, and they both report to you."

"We'll see," Peter said. "But that's first on my agenda."

"Good. Try talking to Mario. He might have some good suggestions for you too."

"He probably does. He's not shy about sharing his opinion." Peter smiled wryly.

John laughed. He remembered Mario, and had gotten his own share of earfuls. "True. So sit down and talk to him. Let him know what you're trying to do, and I bet he's got ideas he just hasn't shared because you weren't giving any indication you wanted to slow down at all."

"He's been hinting at a few things lately, but I've been busy." He shrugged. "Seems I missed a lot of things."

"Don't look back," John leaned over, and put a hand on his friend's leg. "Second-guessing your past decisions will only drive you nuts. You're making changes now, and that's all that counts."

Peter smiled sadly. "I know. Doesn't mean I can't remind myself that I was an ass about things."

John nodded. "I know. And I'm not suggesting you forget—trust me, I've been there, made the bad decisions." He thought about all the lives he hadn't been able to save, and sighed softly. "But you can't let it weigh you down either. At the end of the day, as clichéd as it is, you can't change the past. But you can change your future, if you're willing to try."

Harry snuggled in closer to Peter, pressing a chaste kiss against his cheek. "We'll work it out."

"Yeah, you will." John shot a fond smile at them, and then a brighter one at his own lover and partner. Things were certainly good.

"So…what do you want to do today?"

"Well, since it's your last day, you tell me."

Peter shrugged. "I know Harry wanted to talk to Rodney a little bit, but I don't think that's on today's agenda."

John bit his lip. "Well, I can bring him up a little bit. I just don't want him to get his brain in high-gear quite yet."

"No, don't." Peter shook his head. "There will be other times and other places. We've already inconvenienced you enough."

Rolling his eyes, John shook his head. "Being with the people you care about isn't an inconvenience."

"John. Be honest. We screwed up a good portion of your vacation."

"Not really." He shrugged. "To be honest, having a problem to solve that didn't involve death in some way, shape, or form was kind of relaxing."

Peter laughed and shook his head. "Look. Why don't we leave you for a little while and then meet again for lunch around three? That'll give you some time with Rodney."

"Sounds like a plan." Standing, John gave both of them a hug. "Go take a walk and enjoy your last morning here. It really is a beautiful setting."

"We will. And make sure you enjoy your morning, too," Peter said with a smile as him and Harry headed out, hand-in-hand.

***

Rodney woke up slowly, the final day of their vacation beginning quietly, serenely. The ocean breeze drifted over his body, chilling the skin that was exposed to the air, that wasn't covered by blankets or John.

He shifted on the bed, feeling the tug of the restraints holding him in place, feeling the plug in his ass. Everything reminded him of the past ten days spent—more or less—in bliss.

John had promised him that he could stay down for as long as possible, but his brain knew that things were changing, that this peace of paradise had ended for them.

Next to him, John shifted, curling in to close the small gap between them his own movements had made.

John had been…amazing. Whatever doubts he'd had when they'd begun this whole relationship had been banished with this vacation and the months leading up to it. Things had been hard, but John knew what to do, handled everything—handled him—without any missed steps.

"I c'n hear you thinking." His lover's voice was still sleep-slurred, and held a great deal of open amusement.

"Did I wake you?" Rodney asked quietly, turning his head toward John. The blindfold hid his lover from view, but it was habit.

"Mmm, not really. It's around my jogging time, so I was already starting to wake up when I felt you move." Lips brushed lightly over Rodney's own.

Rodney moaned into the kiss, opening his mouth to let John's tongue slide inside. He'd been semi-hard all night, but this was like instant Viagra. One kiss from his master and he was hard as a rock.

Clever fingers found him, wrapped around him. But John didn't stroke, he just seemed content to hold Rodney, the cock ring starting up a light buzz.

Rodney groaned into John's mouth, arching into his hand. His hands clenched and unclenched above his head as he tugged at the restraints holding him in place.

"Mmmm. Want something?"

"Please," he whispered, begging.

"Please what?"

"Please, John," he panted, trying to catch his breath.

His master chuckled. "Hmm, maybe you want this?" The ring started to buzz harder. "Or this?" His hand started moving, stroking Rodney slowly.

He keened, long and loud, as his body trembled and shuddered, arms and legs pulling at the straps that held him. He was trapped, caught, and he loved it.

His lover's lips grazed his, then moved along his jaw until John was whispering in his ear. "Mine."

"Yours," he panted out between breaths.

"Louder."

He closed his mouth for a brief moment, trying to swallow, trying to wet the inside of his mouth just a little. He managed to lick his lips. "Yours," he said, still not much louder than a whisper, but firmer. "Yours, John."

"Who do you submit to?"

"John!" He nearly yelled it as his lover squeezed him a little harder. "John Sheppard," he elaborated once he'd gotten his breath back.

"Who do you belong to, body, soul, heart, everything?"

Rodney arched into his master's touch, panting with need and want. "You," he whispered, the words soft. "All yours."

A hard mouth covered his, kissing him deeply. Then his lover pulled back, and the ring loosened suddenly. "Come for me then."

That was all it took before his climax hit, waves of pleasure rolling through his body, John gentling him and calming him and loving him. He was limp with pleasure when he finished, his master lying along his side and softly stroking his stomach.

"Very, very good. I'm so proud of you." John was murmuring praise, not being stingy with his caresses.

Rodney hummed, turning his head toward John, too sated to do much anything else as John removed the blindfold.

He saw hazel eyes, soft with affection and love, looking back at him.

He could feel John's cock pressed against his hip, hard and leaking. Rodney shifted slightly, just enough to rub against it, making John take a deep breath.

"God, you're so..." John panted a few times.

"Yours," he whispered, licking his lips.

With a growl, John moved, untying Rodney's legs, and rolling on top of him. He pushed Rodney's legs all the way back, pulling out the plug that had been in overnight, and quickly, if carefully, replaced it with himself.

Rodney moaned as John entered him. He was loose and sated, his master taking him easily. He wrapped his legs around John, crossing his ankles behind his back to pull John closer, deeper.

His master was close, and was fast to pick up a rhythm of hard and fast, tagging Rodney's prostate on every stroke.

Rodney groaned, his cock hardening despite his recent climax. John was like a drug and he couldn't get enough.

"Mine." It was another growl, and then the rush of heat of John claiming him in the most primitive form possible.

John shuddered, pumping into him before collapsing on top of him, covering him as he panted, trying to catch his breath. Rodney's cock was trapped between them, semi-hard and overly sensitive. He whimpered, loving and hating the sensations which made him tremble.

"Mmmmmshhhhhh." John wasn't at the speech stage of his afterglow yet, but he managed to pat Rodney's shoulder. "Goo' boy."

He concentrated on getting his breathing under control, in pushing back the need to come again, willing his dick to listen.

John elevated his body, obviously looking at Rodney's cock between them. "Hmm, very pretty. But you don't get to come again just yet."

The ring tightened down, pulling a strangled moan from Rodney but also helping him keep his own climax at bay.

"Maybe I'll let you come again today. Maybe."

"Whatever…" he panted, "whatever…you…want."

John sat up, and re-attached the straps to Rodney's ankles, tightening them so he couldn't move. "Right now what I want is breakfast."

He groaned and nodded, tugging at the restraints, letting the sensations take him down a notch, letting him fall into his headspace. John had promised him, promised to keep him down as long as he could. His master stroked his stomach again, murmuring praise before sliding away, leaving him open wide and panting. He could feel John's come leaking out of his ass, dripping along his cheeks and pooling beneath him. It was dirty and perfect all at the same time.

When his master returned a bit later, Rodney saw that he had something new in his hands. "I have a special treat I saved until today. One last bondage hoo-ra, so to speak." He climbed onto the bed, pushing a small probe into Rodney's entrance, and hooking that to another piece that slipped over Rodney's cock. Then, standing on the bed, John attached it via a long leather strap to a hook in the ceiling. It pulled on Rodney, every movement making one piece or the other move and vibrate slightly. But the tight cock ring he already wore ensured the sensations wouldn't push him over the edge into orgasm.

"John…what…" he panted.

"A toy I was talking to one of the resort staff about. He uses it on his sub since it's one of the few that can be left on all day without issues. I can still feed you, play with you, and every time you move, the pieces are designed to pull and vibrate with you."

Rodney shifted slightly and he found John's words to be true, pulling a low moan from him as everything just…shimmered.

His master chuckled. "I'm going to order food now."

All he could do was nod, but even that small motion set the toy off, vibrating inside him and around him. He was trapped in a pleasure-filled hell, secured hand and foot, his cock even secured to the ceiling. Every breath made him tingle, forcing his body to shift in an ever increasing spiral.

"Open your mouth." It felt like it had been only seconds, but time must have passed, because John was pressing fruit to his lips.

Rodney did so because obeying John had become such an ingrained habit.

"Eat."

He obeyed, chewing carefully, trying to concentrate on the food in his mouth, but the pleasure….god, the pleasure…

He opened his eyes slightly just in time to see John flick the string.

Rodney howled, grateful he'd swallowed before John had done that, his entire body trembling and shuddering with desperate need.

"Hmmm, I like this toy. I think I need to buy it to bring home with us."

All Rodney could do was try to breathe. It was all he could do to hang onto what was left of his rational mind. But he wanted more. He wanted John to push him further, higher, wanted to break into tiny shards of exquisite pleasure.

"Take another bite."

He tried. He did, but ended up gagging a little on the juice as he tried to take a breath at the same time. John lifted his head, holding him as he coughed. But the movement and the coughing just intensified everything, making him tremble harder.

"You will get at least enough food down to ensure you don't get sick later. Try the cheese."

The cheese was easier, firmer. The pillow behind his head and shoulders, propping him up a little, helped even more.

John alternated feeding him bites, and making the string dance, giving him just enough time to catch his breath before it started all over again.

Rodney was lost in the sensations. They overwhelmed everything else. He lived to feel pleasure. He existed to hear the praise of his master. There was nothing else.

Time melted away—along with the majority of Rodney's brain. The world could end and it wouldn't faze him in the least. This…this was heaven and hell and he willingly gave himself up to it.

The first he became aware of anything again was when he felt a bit of wonderful tugging on the string, and then all the vibrations from it stopped.

He whimpered and moaned, arching up, wanting to feel it again, wanting more. His breath caught in his throat, the disappearance of the sensations felt as if someone had lopped off a limb.

"Shhhh." Soft hands skimmed over his chest.

He sobbed, shifting on the bed, only calming once he was blanketed by a warm body, holding him carefully.

"Shhh, I'm here."

He trembled in his master's arms, panting heavily as he tumbled down from the high of his arousal and pleasure.

Gentle hands skimmed his body, petting him. "I'm sorry, buddy. I wish I could have left you there all day. But we're going to have to check out in about an hour, and I want to give you some time to come back down before I have to put clothes on you."

Rodney tugged at the restraints holding his arms in place, sobbing quietly, but his master's hands were firm and true, soothing the edges and putting him back together where he'd fallen apart. They knew exactly where to touch him to heal him, to quiet him and pull him back from the brink of his perfectly desperate arousal.

A tongue slipped into his mouth, gentle, careful.

The moan, this time, was in pleasure once again. He kissed John back with an open abandon, the love and care radiating from his master in waves. He was basking in it.

The kiss broke slowly, John whispering soft praise and encouragement.

"John," he whispered as he lifted his head slightly, meeting his master's lips again.

"Rodney." His name was said with so much love, worship, affection... it was breathtaking.

"Please." The words were so soft, caressing.

"I'm here."

Rodney lifted his head, meeting John's lips again, tongues tangling, stroking.

John refused to let it get heated, pulling back every time it started in that direction. He kept it lazy, soft.

By the time John finally broke it off again, trailing kisses down his neck, Rodney was limp and sated, drunk with love and pleasure—all without having come.

"So good, so perfect, love you so much..." John continued to whisper between caresses, making Rodney feel more wanted, more needed, than he ever had in his life.

He finally opened his eyes, lifting his head to watch as John pressed kisses along his chest, his hands stroking his sides.

Looking up, his master caught and held his gaze. "I love you."

"Love you," he whispered, holding John's eyes for as long as he could, before finally dropping his head back to lie flat on the bed.

He felt his master shift, moving off him to sit beside Rodney on the bed. "I need to untie you now. You're going to come with me to use the facilities, and then I'm going to dress you."

Rodney turned his head to the side, watching John, waiting for him. There was no question about the orders, no urge to even argue with him. He would do as John wished.

His lover untied him, pulling him to his feet. John touched and caressed and petted all through it, never leaving Rodney wanting.

He held him when his knees nearly buckled, his legs not used to standing after spending the majority of the last twenty-four hours on his back. "Sorry," he whispered into John's neck.

"Nothing to be sorry about." Lips brushed against his skin.

He wrapped his arms around John, surprised at how weak—and good—he felt.

John led him, slowly, into the bathroom, taking care of him, cleaning him up. A plastic plug was pushed into his body, small enough that it wouldn't get uncomfortable after a long period of time inside him.

It felt like everything was soft around the edges, covered in cotton. He moved easily for John, turning and shifting at the touch of his hand or in response to a quietly issued order. John eventually led him back into the bedroom, drawing him to the center of the room.

"I'm going to dress you now. Because you've been so good for this whole trip, I'm going to give you a choice. You can either wear a full harness under your clothes, or you can wear wrist and ankle cuffs that will show."

Rodney blinked a few times, considering John's words. "Can I have both?"

John tapped his finger against his lips a few times. "Hmmm. Tell you what. If you can get me off in five minutes using nothing but your mouth, you can have both. Otherwise, you choose one."

Without a moment's pause, Rodney was on his knees, his fingers already working at the zipper of John's jeans. His fingers were quick and efficient, pulling aside the thick material to reveal John's boxers and his half-hard cock. With a growl, Rodney mouthed him through the cotton, feeling him harden immediately.

"Time... time starts now. Five... five minutes."

After thoroughly soaking the front of John's boxers, he tugged down the cotton, wrapping his mouth around John's cock, taking him in deep—just the way he liked it. He alternated pressure and the sharpness of his teeth to ramp him up, before pressing in even closer, letting John slide down, hitting the back of his throat.

"Oh... fuck..." Fingers wound into his hair, holding on tight.

Rodney growled and hummed, adding vibration to the suction, feeling the tremors in his master's body. Close. So close.

The cock in his mouth got a slightly salty tang—pre-come.

He intensified his efforts, feeling the small thrusts of his master's hips.

"Oh, oh god..." And he was rewarded for it by the moan torn out of John's throat, and the rush of heat that filled Rodney's mouth.

He swallowed John's come down easily, eagerly, before finally licking him clean when he was done. He gently tugged the damp boxers back into place and then zipped him back up. Sitting back on his heels, he looked up at John with a smile.

Blown-out hazel eyes looked back at him. "Hmmmm, very very good."

"Good enough?"

"Mmmm, well, you had me coming in under the time, so yeah. You earned it, buddy."

Rodney smiled broader, letting John tug him to his feet. His master pulled him in for another long, leisurely kiss.

Humming in contentment, Rodney wrapped his arms around John, rubbing his naked body along the rough fabric of John's jeans and shirt.

Laughing softly, John broke away, kissing the tip of Rodney's nose. "Ah ah, you aren't coming again until tonight. For now, let me go get the toys."

"Feels good," he admitted softly. "Don't care about the rest."

"Good. I want you to feel good." John pulled the harness and all four leather cuffs from a duffel bag near the door.

A quick glance around the room, and Rodney realized there was really nothing personal left. "You packed?"

"Yeah. I had the best soundtrack for it ever. You make the best noises."

"But…how long was I…" he asked, the words trailing off as he realized it had to be the afternoon sometime. He'd lost hours.

"A while." John closed in, starting to put the harness on. "I left you down for as long as I could."

Rodney was silent, turning when John's hands asked, feeling something settle in his chest as the straps were secured. He felt safe.

Standing back, John's eyes were soft. "Mine."

He smiled, offering John his wrists which were still encased in the resort's rubber cuffs. John's black leather ones would warm against his skin within a few moments.

His master kissed the inside of each wrist as it was exposed, and then once more locked up. Then he knelt and did the same to Rodney's ankles.

"I got a tan," Rodney said quietly. He'd seen the pale white skin as it was revealed, contrasting with the new, darker color of his skin.

"A bit of one. I didn't bring you out into the direct sun too much. I didn't want you to burn."

"I've never been tan before."

"I like you pale."

Rodney snorted. "You better. It's my normal color."

"It's... sexy."

He rolled his eyes as John rose to his feet, fingering Rodney's rubber collar. "You managed to mark me. That's why you wanted me in the sun."

His master winked at him. The rubber collar came off and was set aside. On a nearby table, Rodney's usual collar, the expensive piece of jewelry, was resting.

"You're going to use that one?"

"Yes. I like the way it looks against your skin."

"But it doesn't match the rest," he said, lifting his hand to show John.

"So? I'm not trying to match."

"But we're already in for a penny...what will another piece of leather matter at this point?"

John considered him. "What are you willing to give up for it?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you want the heavier leather collar, which isn't what I was planning to use, you're going to have to offer me something in return."

"The blow job wasn't enough?"

"That was for both the cuffs and harness. Now you're asking for something else."

"Oh." Rodney looked at John carefully, weighing his options. He had a few. One of the hardest for him, however, was not talking in public. And they were going to be in public for a god-awful long time. He licked his lips. "No talking for the next…twenty-four hours—without any kind of help?"

Both of John's eyebrows went up. "Can you manage that? Think carefully before you agree to it, because even though you're volunteering for it, if you break it, you will be punished."

"I know. But would that be an acceptable exchange?"

"Yes, it would be."

"Would it make you happy?"

"You make me happy, Rodney." John moved forward, gathering Rodney in his arms. "But, yes, if you need the collar to feel complete, and this is what you're willing to give up for it, then it makes me very happy."

"I don't know what else of value I can really give you."

John tipped his face up, leaning in to kiss him softly. "You're so god damned perfect, you know that?"

"Mmm," he said, pulling back a little. "I'll give you my voice, John. If you'll have it."

"Yes." John kissed him again softly. "Once the collar goes on, you don't speak again until it comes off. If you do, without explicit permission, you'll get five swats for each word with the punishment paddle."

"Yes, John. I understand," Rodney said quietly, leaning forward to kiss John again.

John's hand was gentle against Rodney's face as they kissed, and then he pulled back. "All right, before I put the collar on, is there anything else you would like to say?"

"I love you and thank you for everything and I'm sorry the beginning of our vacation was so hard on you."

Smiling, John caressed him again. "I love you, too, and you have nothing to be sorry about. You needed help falling, and that's why I'm here. Well, one of the reasons anyway. And I don't mind it at all."

"Still. I don't say thank you enough."

John kissed him lightly, then went and grabbed the leather collar out of their bag. "I love you."

"Love you," Rodney said, watching as John returned to him. A sudden thought struck him. "Do moans count?"

Chuckling, John shook his head. "No. Assorted sounds made to express pleasure won't count against you. However, if you say my name, even in pleasure, that will be considered an infraction."

"Okay. Love you."

"I love you, too." John brushed their lips together, and then the collar was buckled into place.

The silence was easy now, when it was just the two of them. Later it would be harder, when there would be people and questions and staring. This would be the first time he'd be on display like this to the general public.

"So beautiful." John's smile, the approval in his eyes, made it all worth it though.

He returned John's smile, letting his hand linger on his lover's arm before he shifted away, turning back to the dresser and the pile of clothes he'd laid out earlier.

John dressed him first in jeans that hugged his body—no underwear. His master was careful not to snag anything, but knowing John could just unzip him and pull him out whenever he might feel like it...

He shifted on his bare feet, feeling the rough fabric rub him in all the right places. It felt so strange to have something so close to his skin. He closed his eyes, taking in the sensations, letting them flow through his mind.

Over the jeans, John added a soft shirt. Once it was in place, he reached out, tweaking each of Rodney's nipples through the fabric.

Rodney released a soft sigh a half-whispered "John" in there somewhere. Everything was so crisp, so clear, so sensual.

"Ah ah, no talking. Since it wasn't a full word, you'll still get five swats, but with my hand instead of the paddle." John moved behind him, and the swats—hard enough to sting a little—were delivered almost before Rodney had time to realize he had spoken.

He clamped his mouth shut, holding back words and sound and the moan as the pain blossomed to pleasure. He released the breath he'd held in a few seconds later, opening his eyes as John stepped in front of him again.

His top nodded, and kissed him again. "Good boy."

Rodney let his fingers drift over John's cheek in apology.

His lover captured the tip of one, and sucked lightly on it.

It was so natural, so easy, to step in close again, to put his head on John's shoulder and wrap his free arm around his waist.

"So good. I'm so proud of you. You've been incredible for this whole vacation."

It was all John. He was the one who made this all possible. All him. Rodney snuggled in closer, letting out a contented sigh.

He felt the press of lips to his temple.

He wished they didn't have to leave. This was…this was just about perfect. No worries, no problems, no stress.

"All right, we need to get moving, as much as I hate to admit it."

Rodney squeezed John tighter, shaking his head slightly.

"I wish we could stay, too, buddy."

Rodney held on tightly, until John shifted, physically pulling him off.

"Unless we're not going back at all, we don't have a choice."

Rodney opened his eyes wide—partially in surprise, partially pleading. He didn't honestly think John would even consider staying. Flying was far too important to him.

"You have permission to speak. This is too important of a decision to have me make assumptions about. I'm willing to stay here on Earth if you're ready to give it up."

"I didn't think we were talking about it until we got back to Colorado."

"We don't have to make the decision yet, but I need to know which way you're leaning."

"I…I don't know. Honestly."

"If you had to choose, go or stay, right now, what would it be?"

"We can't afford to stay here indefinitely."

"Well, not here at this resort, but here on Earth somewhere. Hawaii, maybe."

"I…I liked this more than I thought I would," Rodney said slowly. "I liked everything about it. Loved every part of my submission to you. Once…once you helped me fall, get past some of my own reservations and open up to you…I'd give up everything to feel like that all the time."

"You say that now, but I need to know if you would resent it later. Because I wouldn't be able to keep you this deep all the time. I wouldn't want to. My guess is that even if you don't want to work, and stayed home as my full-time sub, you would still be doing some research on the side during the day."

"I don't know. I can't see into the future. Trust me, if I could, I would," Rodney said with a sigh. "Can we just…I don't want to think about this now."

"All right. No more talking then. The permission has officially been rescinded."

He nodded, moving to step close to John, but his master shook his head sharply.

"No. No matter what we decide to do later, we do have to leave the resort now." With a sigh, John ran a hand through his hair, and picked up a leash. "We'll go get checked out, and have someone come for the bags."

He gave John another nod, lowering his eyes. The leash clicked into place a few beats later. Hesitating for a moment, Rodney lifted his hand, offering the cuff-covered wrist to John.

"You're one step ahead of me, buddy." Smiling, John locked his wrists together, the wound the leash around his own wrist.

Rodney slowly released a long breath, forcing his mind to drop a little. John tugged him forward with gentle pressure on the leash and he moved instinctively, easily, following just behind his master's shoulder. He kept his eyes down, focused on where he put his bare feet.

"When we get to the lobby, I want you on your knees next to me."

He nodded silently, getting a hum of approval from his master.

They arrived in the plush lobby where the main desk was located, and John headed directly over to the attendant there.

As soon as he paused in front of the desk, Rodney carefully knelt—one knee at a time—settling in place beside his master. He was more or less ignored as John took care the bill and arranged for their luggage to be brought to the lobby. A car would bring them to the airport and then everything would go back to the way it was before.

As he talked, John was absently petting Rodney, fingers running through his hair.

He shifted slightly, resting his head against his master's thigh and closing his eyes. His chest ached a little, knowing they were leaving, leaving all of this behind.

John's fingers worked under his chin, forcing him to look up. "We're ready to walk out. I'll put your shoes on in the car."

He nodded in understanding. John helped him to his feet a moment later before they moved to the front doors, the same ones they'd entered when they'd arrived what seemed like an eon ago.

"Hey." Pausing, John pulled him close, wrapping his arms around Rodney. "We're not giving anything up, all right? Even when we leave here, no matter what we decide to do next, you belong to me. You're my sub, and I'm your top, and I'll always be beside you, taking care of you."

"I know," he whispered, knowing the punishment that would come. "Miss this already." Five words. Twenty-five smacks.

One eyebrow went up, but he knew that John was keeping track, too. "We'll work it all out. And no talking."

Rodney nodded. The punishment would be worth it. John shifted back a few moments later, taking the leash in hand once again.

The ring still around his cock started to buzz as John started walking.

He moaned quietly, but managed to keep up—barely. The sensations immediately side-tracked his mind, which probably had been John's plan.

For each step he took, the vibrations went up by a tiny amount.

By the time they reached the curb where they paused, Rodney's eyes were closed tightly and he was moaning continually and loudly. Between the vibrations and the way the clothes rubbed his body…John was driving him insane.

"Me. Think of nothing but me touching you, fucking you, loving you."

Rodney barely bit back his plea. To have John fuck him….

"Inside you, around you. Touching you deep in places no one else gets to go." The ring started to pulse.

He held his mouth shut, muffling his moans, his ass clenching around the small plug John had placed there before. His entire body was trembling and shuddering.

His master's chuckle was dirty. "I bet if I told you to, you could come right now, couldn't you? In your jeans, right here waiting at the curb for the car. You'd come and come and everyone watching would know who you belong to."

Rodney nodded. He only needed one word and he would.

His top reached down, fondling him through the jeans. "You want to come, don't you? Want that release after all the teasing I've done today."

He nodded again, moaning loudly, his body trembling even harder at his master's touch.

"Open your eyes and look around at the other people waiting for cars. Look at how they're watching you, how you're making them damp. You're that sexy. But you're all mine to play with, to touch, to fuck."

Rodney forced his lids to open, to look around at all the eyes focused on them. He groaned, his knees buckling a little, but John caught him, keeping him on his feet.

"Spread your legs wide. Let them see the bulge, see how hard you are. How hard I make you. You would let me drop your pants and fuck you right here, wouldn't you? You'd be my perfect sub and let me just take you."

He turned his face up to John, nodding. To have John take him…he moaned again, wanting to feel his top fucking his ass. He was still clenching down on the small plug, missing the stretch of the bigger ones they'd been using.

His top's eyes were dark with arousal. Apparently he had had enough time to recover since the blowjob. Reaching around, he undid Rodney's jeans, and dropped them, to pool around his ankles. Rodney felt him playing with the plug, pulling it out a bit then sliding it back in. "Such a greedy little ass. No matter how much it gets, it always wants more. I love your ass, so fuckable, so perfect."

He groaned, nodding. More. Yes. Please more.

The plug was pulled out, and then John was pressing in. It was dry, and there was more friction than usual, but he had been fucked so much he was loose, and there was still some lube from the plug to help ease John's way into his body. "Mine."

He moaned loudly, tugging at the bindings on his wrists. Between those, the pants around his ankles, and John's cock in his body he was effectively restrained. He could only take it and god, it felt amazing.

The buzzing got stronger the harder John thrust into him.

If John wasn't holding him up, he'd be down on the ground somewhere. But Rodney didn't care. He wanted to feel the warm flush as his master found his release, filling him and plugging him again.

He could tell from John's breathing that his master was getting closer. He continued to whisper in Rodney's ear as he fucked him. "Mine. You're all mine. And you're going to come when I do, just like this. Show everyone watching that I own you, that you come from my cock alone."

Rodney moaned loudly. Yes. He was John's. Body and soul. John owned him.

He felt the heat, and heard the groan, that told him his master was filling him.

As soon as he felt the ring loosening, the climax that had been building since early this morning released. He howled as he came, his body shuddering hard through his orgasm even as his master filled him.

He didn't completely black out, but if John hadn't been there, holding him up, he would have fallen to the ground. When he started getting some awareness back, the first thing he heard was his master's soft praise. "So good, so beautiful. I love you so fucking much..."

He groaned quietly as John's skillful hands slid a larger plug into his ass. Rodney was so limp, so sated…even if he was tied in knots he'd be perfectly content right now.

"Can you stand on your own for a second? I want to get your pants back up. Don't speak, just nod yes or no."

It took nearly a minute for the sentence to register in his brain and John was huffing a little, having to hold all of his weight at a weird angle. He nodded slowly. He thought he could stand.

"Good." His top slowly shifted them so Rodney was taking his own weight, waiting until he was sure Rodney was stable before he got himself tucked away, and got Rodney's clothes back into place.

He hissed as the rough fabric rubbed against his overly sensitive cock, the sound turning into a moan as John tightened down his ring.

His master moved so he was in front of Rodney again, and, lips curved in a sated smile, he claimed a kiss.

Rodney opened up for John's tongue, sucking it into his mouth and pulling a moan out of his master.

He didn't know how long they made out, John diving in deep, when his master suddenly pulled away. He was flushed, his hair all askew. Someone in a uniform was now next to them, a car nearby.

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but we must leave so you can reach the airport in time for your flight. We do not want you to miss your connecting flight."

"Mmm, yes, we're coming. Those are our bags there. Rodney, come with me." John once more wound the leash around his wrist.

He followed, his body loose and tense in all the right places. John had him slide into the limo first, then followed a few seconds later. One of the attendants closed the door behind him.

He immediately crawled into John's arms. His top held him close, pressing light kisses all over.

Rodney shifted again, crawling a little more firmly into John's lap, knees on either side of John's legs. He dove in for a kiss, picking up where they'd left off outside a few minutes ago.

He could taste his master's laugh as he opened up, let Rodney inside.

Rodney felt the car start moving a few minutes later as he settled comfortably in John's lap, making sure he was rubbing John's cock which was probably just as sensitive as his own.

The gasp he got confirmed his suspicions.

He hummed into John's mouth, renewing his movements, loving the rough feel of fabric against his own cock.

His master shifted them, managing to twist so Rodney was down on the seat. It took a little doing, but then they were pressed together, stretched out along the seat.

He arched up into John, adjusting his hands which were pressed into the seat under him, before lowering his ass again and spreading his legs so John could press even closer against him. He moaned, his entire body shuddering.

"Mmmm, mine."

Rodney hummed in agreement, wrapping his ankle over John's. He lifted his head, pressing a light kiss to John's lips, smiling as his master's hands framed his face, fingers sliding through his hair.

They didn't speak, just looked at each other. John seemed to want to just study the lines of Rodney's face, touching, tracing them.

The moments stretched as time seemingly stood still.

Finally, with a sigh, John sat up slowly. "I need to put your shoes on. I have flip-flops here for you."

Rodney's eyebrow rose. Flip-flops? Since when did he even own a pair?

John pulled them out, handing them over. "I snagged them the other day. I figured it would be easier for the times when I might want to strip you quickly."

He sat up with John's help, leaning back against the seat as he wiggled his toes into the sandals. He didn't think he'd ever worn a pair, let alone owned one.

"Everyone needs a pair, and I've never seen you wear them, so I guessed you probably didn't have any."

He looked up, shaking his head. No, he'd never had any. Not even as a kid. But he was not your normal kid. Besides, what use would you have for flip-flops in Canada where it was hot all of two days a year?

From John's grin, it was clear he could at least guess at what was going through Rodney's mind. "Mmm. Shoes you can kick off quick and no underwear means I can have you naked in under a minute, any time I want."

Rodney snorted, rolling his eyes.

Chuckling, John settled in the seat, and held out an arm for Rodney to snuggle close again. "You scoff now, but wait until you've had time to recover and I start teasing you again."

He shook his head but moved close, resting against John. He let out a long breath and relaxed.

The ride was quiet after that, with a lot of lingering caresses and soft kisses on both sides.

When the car finally slowed, the airport coming into view, John shifted, unclipping the leash from the ring on Rodney's collar. He tossed it toward the opposite bench seat, not moving when it slid to the floor.

"We can get away with some stuff while we're still here, but as much as I hate it, we can't get away with everything."

Rodney knew and understood. He shifted, turning so John had access to his wrists.

Rubbing them for a moment, John unlocked them. "When we get on the plane, I can hook them back together again. Your ankles, too."

Maybe on the bigger plane when they were in first class. On the small place…not so much. Rodney nodded in any case. He just wanted to turn around and go back to that great big bed.

Leaning in, John kissed him. "I love you."

He mouthed the words back silently.

Smiling, John squeezed his hand once, and then the car was coming to a stop. One of the services of the resort was to take care of checking their bags and checking them in to the flight. The driver handed John their tickets, and the passes to get into the first-class lounge.

"It was a pleasure having you with us. I hope you enjoyed your time with us and that you'll come back again."

"It was a great trip. Thanks again, and I can almost guarantee that you'll see us again as soon as we can manage it." John reached out and shook the guy's hand.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, smiling. "You can proceed directly through security with these. The lounge is on the right just past the coffee shop."

"Thanks." John handed over some bills, and then took Rodney's hand. "Let's go."

The line was short—thank god for small airports. They wouldn't have to do this again when they changed planes. John handed over their tickets and passports to the security guard who looked at the paperwork for a moment before looking up at John. He checked his ticket and his picture again and then handed it to him, hanging onto Rodney's.

"Step forward, sir."

John stood aside, but stayed close.

The guard checked over Rodney's information for what seemed like forever before finally signing off on it. "You have to hold onto this through security," he said handing to Rodney.

He nodded and then moved forward with John.

John took his hand again as they moved to the next stage, taking off their shoes and heading through the metal detectors.

John sent Rodney through first and as soon as he stepped in he rang.

He heard his lover curse softly behind him. "I forgot about this when I put the bigger plug in. It's metal."

"Sir, please walk through again," the guard said, gesturing Rodney forward. He obeyed, cringing when he rang. The guard directed him toward a small booth area. "Please stay there. Someone will be with you in a minute."

"Rodney." John caught his attention. "Go ahead and do whatever the officers ask, and answer any questions they have."

Rodney nodded, feeling his stomach twist a little. John went through the detector without incident and picked up their shoes and the few things they were carrying on board. Rodney watched as he was ushered out of the security area to stand behind the ropes. Clutching his ticket and passport in his sweaty hand, Rodney wished they had just stayed at the resort.

A security guard came over, looking bored and holding a wand. "If you could hold out your arms and spread your legs sir. I'll be using the back of my hand to test any areas that come up on the detector."

Rodney nodded, moving exactly where the guard asked him. He closed his eyes, trying to blot out everything—especially as the wand squawked when it moved over his ass. He felt pressure a few seconds later as the guard touched him, seemingly trying to figure out what was there.

Then the man grunted. "Lemme guess, you were up at that resort thing a few miles away?"

Rodney nodded, adding a quiet "Yes".

He grunted again. "Wouldn't be the weirdest I've seen from there." He continued to wand over Rodney's body, then waved. "Head on out."

Without a backward glance, Rodney moved, not going to wait for the guard to decide he needed a visual on his plug.

John was still waiting, and looked Rodney up and down immediately. "Everything okay?"

No. Nothing was okay. Someone had touched him. He shook his head, arms wrapping around his torso.

"Hey, buddy, it's okay, I'm here." John pulled him into his arms.

Rodney sighed, relaxing in John's arms. They stood there, just off to the side of the security exit, for several minutes before John finally loosened his hold, ushering them along the concourse, making sure his arm was around Rodney's waist.

He walked them into the men's room which was, thankfully, empty at the moment. "Hey, it's all right. I'd prefer it if he had kept his hands off of you, but he was just doing his job."

Intellectually, he knew that but it didn't make it any easier. He wrapped his arms around John, leaning against him, hating that he could still feel the guard's hands pressing, poking… Rodney shifted, reaching back to grab John's hand and scoot it down to where the guard had touched him.

Seeming to understand what he needed, John picked up the movement, caressing Rodney all over, running his hands over every inch of his body.

It took a few minutes before his chest loosened, before his body started trembling for an entirely different—and good—reason.

Once he got to that point, John backed him slowly into the handicap stall, shutting the door behind them. Then he went to his knees, opening Rodney's pants to lick at his growing erection.

Rodney moaned, the sound echoing off the tiles, reminding him that they were in public. He clenched his jaw closed, trying to keep silent, as he spread his hands on the cold wall behind him.

Looking down, he saw John wink at him, and then his top set out to drive him crazy, licking and sucking and humming around his cock.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the feeling of John's mouth on his dick and on not making a sound. The last thing they needed was to be arrested for public indecency.

He felt the ring around him loosen, John's silent command to come.

Rodney let go, hips twitching as he climaxed as he tried not to choke John in his own pleasure. His master sucked every last drop out of him before licking him clean and tightening the ring down again. Even before Rodney's heart stopped pounding, John was pressed alongside him, Rodney's pants all buttoned up.

He captured Rodney's mouth in a deep kiss, letting Rodney taste himself.

Rodney opened himself up to his top, humming quietly as his fingers stroked John's waist.

When they finally broke apart, his master smiled softly at him. "Better now?"

He nodded, opening his heavily-lidded eyes. "Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about, and no talking." John put one finger on Rodney's lips. "I dropped it for the security line since you needed to answer their questions, but it's back in effect starting now."

Rodney leaned forward, brushing John's lips with his own.

John smiled, taking his hand and leading him back out again. They wandered toward their gate, stopping to browse a bit aimlessly in some of the duty-free shops.

John was never more than a few feet away, linked together by their joined hands. They browsed through the paperbacks in the bookshop, the thriller-mystery and science fiction books he used to read when he needed a break from work no longer holding any kind of interest. What they lived back on Atlantis was far more interesting.

They did pick up a few bars of good chocolate, and bottles of water. John opened one of the bars and broke a piece off, holding it up to Rodney's lips.

He hesitated for a moment before raising his eyes to meet John's, getting a little lost in them. He took the piece from him and then shifted so he could put his head on John's shoulder, threading their fingers together a little tighter. It was awkward in the seats they had at the gate, but it was doable.

"Love you." John whispered it softly.

Rodney squeezed John's hand tightly, wishing they were already home, dreading the next two flights.

When the time came to board, being first class helped. They got on first, and John set about getting them both comfortable.

John settled him in the window seat, tugging out the blanket and spreading it over Rodney's lap. The seatbelt came next. It was only a short flight over to the Big Island, but John was settling in like they'd be here for a week.

"Comfortable?"

He nodded, leaning back against the seat and turning his head toward John. He reached out his hand, offering it palm up to his master.

John took it, bringing it up to press a kiss to the back before settling their joined hands on the armrest. "If you can, try to relax and rest a bit. This is the short hop."

Taking a deep breath, Rodney let it out slowly, nodding again. He squeezed John's hand and tried to turn his brain off. The guard had really unsettled him—more than he ever thought it would.

John didn't let go, using his other hand to pet Rodney's arm steadily, giving him something to focus on.

Rodney fell into an uneasy slumber, waking up when John nudged him. They were taxing down a runway headed toward an airport. He'd slept through the flight?

His master gave him a soft smile, leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. "I wanted to give you a minute to wake up before we deplane. Remember, no talking."

He licked his lips and blinked his eyes a few times before rubbing his free hand over his face. He felt slow, sluggish. Napping had probably not been the best of ideas.

"Once we get off, we'll head to the VIP Lounge. We have about a two-hour layover here, so we can find a quiet corner to relax."

Rodney nodded, squeezing John's hand. Water would be good, too. He hated planes and their recycled air.

"They should have some food in the lounge, so we can eat a bit there too. I'd rather get some good food in you on the ground than wait and take chances with whatever the airline is serving in the air."

Rodney nodded enthusiastically. Options were always a good thing. The seatbelt sign clicked off a few moments later and John was unfastening them both, drawing Rodney to his feet to stand in front of him as they prepared to leave. He leaned back, letting John take some of his weight as he watched the flight attendants go through their ground checks, the main door swinging open a few minutes later.

"Let's go, buddy." John's hands slipped from where they had rested around his waist as they walked forward. As soon as they were clear of the plane, John took his hand again.

As soon as they stepped into the main concourse, Rodney swore he could feel the eyes of just about everyone focus on him.

John though didn't behave as if he noticed at all. He looked around until he spotted the sign pointing the way to the first class lounge, and tugged Rodney to get him moving in that direction.

Rodney lowered his eyes, not wanting to see the looks of surprise and disgust. He'd seen enough already.

"There it is!" John pointed ahead at a nicely carved set of mahogany doors leading into the lounge. "I'm thinking we stop in the men's room, grab some water, and then go find food."

They were inside a few moments later, John showing their tickets to the receptionist who ushered them deeper inside with a smile.

It was plush, and felt very private, with small alcoves with dim lighting where Rodney could see individuals, couples and small families resting. The attendant led them to an empty one, which had a couch, small television, a computer presumably hooked up to the Internet, and a tiny private bathroom. There were menus, and they were informed that someone would be by soon to take their order and get them anything they needed.

Gesturing to the couch, Rodney tilted his head in question. He didn't have to pee and the couch looked pretty comfortable.

"Go ahead. Take a look at the menu while I use the restroom. I'll be right back." Leaning in, John brushed a kiss across Rodney's lips.

As soon as John closed the door to the bathroom, Rodney was stretched on the couch, head pillowed on one of his arms. Staring up at the ceiling, he tried to forget the feeling of hundreds of eyes on his back, watching them as they walked to the lounge. It was certainly a rude welcome back to reality.

John didn't take long, and was suddenly standing over him, smiling down. "Hi there sexy."

Rodney smiled weakly, reaching up to grab John's hand, rubbing his thumb over the skin on the back of his hand. He tugged gently, trying to give John enough of a hint without talking of what he wanted.

Chuckling, his top lowered himself down, so he was blanketing Rodney from head to toe.

With a sigh of relief, Rodney wrapped his arms around John and closed his eyes.

He heard a soft voice, and John responded, asking for a few dinner-type things.

Rodney ignored everything except the press of John against him, holding him to the couch and the feel of his lover's muscles under the cotton shirt. He stroked his hand gently, up and down along John's spine. He loved the way John smelled, how John felt, how safe he made him feel.

Humming, John arched a little into the touch, like a cat. "Feels good."

He slid his hand up toward John's neck, tugging him down even closer until they were cheek to cheek.

"Love you." John whispered it into Rodney's skin.

Rodney turned his head, opening his eyes only long enough to focus in on his master's lips.

They were curved up, soft, parted slightly. The perfect shade of pink.

Perfect. So perfect. He lifted his head, fitting his own lips with John's.

It was lazy, easy, neither of them, for once, in any hurry to do anything else but this.

Rodney sighed into the kiss as his hands explored the expanse of John's back. He shoved John's shirt out of the way, sliding his fingers along warm, smooth skin.

His lover hummed into their joined mouths, his tongue mimicking Rodney's hands.

But, god. More. He wanted more of John, of this. He spread his legs, feeling John settled against him, feeling his hardened cock pressed against his body.

Breaking their mouths apart with a gasp, John looked down with arousal-blown eyes. "Rodney..."

He moaned in the back of his throat, his hands grabby and demanding against John's back. He arched into his master's body, feeling him shudder.

"We can't... can't do this... here. It's... Oh god..."

"Please," he whispered, wanting more.

"No…no talking." John licked his lips. "We have to be quiet and fast."

Rodney nodded. Yes, whatever he said, whatever he wanted. He needed John inside of him now.

Lowering his head, John panted for a moment, obviously trying to find some control.

He arched up, fingers digging into the skin of John's back.

"Fuck... Okay, bathroom, now. We can't...can't do this out here."

John was unsteady as he found his feet, tugging Rodney up and dragging him into the bathroom, locking the door behind them.

"Drop your pants, hands on the toilet, ass out."

Germs and dirty were the first two things that ran through his mind, but right now he didn't care. His hands fumbled at his waist, fingers working slower than he wanted, but finally getting them opened. He shoved his pants down with a moan as the fabric rubbed over his semi-hard cock. He positioned himself as John asked, spreading his legs as much as he could.

"God..." The plug was eased out, teasing at his entrance.

Rodney moaned, dropping his head down as his eyes slid closed in pleasure. He wanted to rock back against the plug, wanted to feel it stretching him again as it breeched the first ring of muscle, but he waited. John would take care of it.

He could feel the drops of John's semen from before dripping out of his ass, sliding slowly down the inside of his thigh.

Then the plug was gone, and his master was filling him, pressing inside slowly.

Rodney groaned, pushing back, wanting the burn, wanting to feel it.

"Shhh, I've got you."

John's fingers pressed into the skin and muscle along his hips, steadying him, stilling his backward thrusts. Rodney whimpered quietly.

"I need to make sure you're slick enough not to hurt you."

Rodney clenched down, pulling a moan from John.

"You... oh fuck... Rodney..."

He panted quietly, his muscles trembling in an effort to keep still. He wanted John to fuck him already, wanting John to fill him, claim him.

It seemed like forever, but finally his top was buried to the hilt, completely inside him.

God…it was so good, but still not enough. He wanted to beg, to plead for John to take him, but he held his tongue, remembering this time. But it didn't stop him from mouthing the words.

"Oh god... so good..." John moaned, and then started to move, slowly at first, but picking up momentum on each thrust.

John's hands were still locked on his hips, holding him still. Rodney moaned just thinking about what this looked like, about where they were, about how hot it was when John used him and took his due like this.

"Mine, mine..." John repeated it, over and over, the thrusts getting harder, more possessive.

Every thrust pushed Rodney deeper, shoving away the looks and stares that littered his mind from their walk through the terminal. Nothing mattered except John, about making him happy, about pleasing him.

"Oh, oh god..." And then there was heat, stuttered thrusts, and John's panting that said he had just come.

Rodney moaned in pleasure, feeling another piece of his tension slide away.

John's weight rested against him for a moment, hard and lean and heavy. Perfect. He managed to stay inside Rodney when he leaned over to the sink, washing off the plug.

A quick switch later and the plug was once again pushed inside Rodney's ass, keeping John's semen deep within him. Rodney held his position, listening as the water started running again as John cleaned himself up. The wet paper towel then gently cleaned the inside of his thighs and his ass, leaving the area damp and cool, making him shiver.

Noting the reaction, John blew softly on the damp skin, creating more goosebumps. "We'll have to try some more sensation play one of these days."

Rodney moaned and nodded. Whatever John wanted, however John wanted to play with him.

John gently stood him up, got his clothes back to where they were supposed to be, and then kissed Rodney gently. "Better now?"

He was hard and his ass was sore, but he couldn't be more perfect. He melted against John, nodding.

"Good." His lover held him close for a few minutes before slowly drawing him back out of the bathroom. While they had been busy, the food had arrived, and John arranged them on the couch so he could feed Rodney bites of it.

John had settled on the couch—half sitting, half lying—putting Rodney between his legs. But it meant that he could rest back against John's chest, turned slightly, head resting on his shoulder. John fed him easily as Rodney traced patterns on his lover's fabric-clad stomach with his finger.

It was nice, relaxing. At some point John turned on the TV and tuned it into a soft music station, filling their tiny waiting room with soothing sounds.

Rodney remembered fighting this once, remembered how he hated the non-sex parts. It was different now, though. Sometimes he swore he could stay like this forever, just listening to John's heart beating in his ear and his even breaths. They both dozed for a while, until John roused him, apparently after an attendant woke him up.

"Hmm?" he hummed in question, after startling awake with a jump.

"Time to go to the gate. They'll be boarding first class soon, buddy."

He snuggled back into John's arms, much more content with staying here.

With an amused huff, John kissed the top of his head. "We can't stay here forever, buddy."

Rodney let his thumb slide across John's nipple, smiling when he was rewarded with a quiet moan.

"Not...not fair..."

Rodney did it again, loving the reactions he received in return—how John's breathing and heart rate increased, how he shifted under him…

"Oh god, that feels good, but we can't right now... need to get moving."

He hummed, stroking the little nub a little firmer. His lover gasped, arching a bit.

Rodney smiled, licking his lips as he imagined what it would taste like if he sucked it.

"You're evil." John looked at him with affectionate eyes.

Rodney hummed, caressing the skin around the pert nub.

John's breath hitched. "We do have to catch this flight, you know."

He knew, but he didn't care. Rodney licked his lips again, watching his finger brush over the top of John's nipple.

Swallowing, John moaned softly.

Circle. Circle. Touch. Let your fingers do the walking… Rodney smiled to himself.

"God, you make being responsible so damn hard. I know we need to go, but I don't want to make you stop."

Circle. Circle. Touch. Rodney hummed to himself, concentrating on the way the fabric shifted colors just because of how John's nipple stood up.

"God, okay, we have to go. But I promise you can keep doing that once we get on board."

Circle. Circle. Touch.

With another moan, John shifted, sitting up and forcing Rodney to more or less do the same.

He reached out, trying to recapture John's nipple only to realize that he now had access to both of them.

"Fuck!" John's startled exclamation when he managed to tweak them both made Rodney smile.

He spread his hands across John's chest, his thumbs stroking the two nubs.

"You... you..."

Rodney hummed, loving the sound of John's breathless voice, of what he could do to him just from a simple touch.

"God... love you..."

He smiled, his eyes fixed on John's chest, tongue caught between his teeth as he concentrated.

Moaning, John fell back onto the couch.

Rodney purred, his right hand sliding down to tug John's shirt up. Skin. He wanted skin. His top didn't fight him. Instead, he lifted his arms to give Rodney more access.

He let out a happy noise as he shoved John's shirt up to his armpits, his hands immediately going back to those perfect nipples. He picked his lips and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the center of John's chest.

"We... we have time... Just can't... let you do this... for hours... God..." John panted, one hand coming down to thread through Rodney's hair.

Rodney hummed again, this time shifting to the left to take John's nipple in his mouth. His lover made a strangled noise, his hand tightening in Rodney's hair as he arched up to meet Rodney's mouth.

John tasted perfect. He licked and sucked while his right hand continued to tease John's other nipple.

"Get my... my dick out... don't have... a clean pair... of pants with us. All checked..."

Rodney leaned back at that, his eyes open wide. A cock was so much better for sucking.

"Make me come, just... just make sure it doesn't get on…on our clothes..."

He immediately slid to the floor, Rodney's hands rearranging John before he opened his pants. His mouth was watering, remembering how his master tasted, about how he'd filled him earlier and how he'd be filled again… He moaned long and low.

"God, you're so fucking hot..." When he looked up, he saw John watching him, arousal and love clear to see.

Rodney licked his lips, waiting, wondering if John would give him free reign or if he'd actually take control.

"Suck me."

John didn't have to ask twice. Rodney moved immediately, his mouth enveloping the head of John's cock. He moaned at the taste of the pre-come—salty and musky and John.

He heard John's moan echo his own.

He bobbed his head, going deeper and deeper with each and every pass. He loved cock—especially John's cock. Loved how it felt in his mouth or his ass. Loved how it tasted.

And his master was giving it to him, letting him take what he needed, letting him lose himself in it for at least a few minutes. His master knew exactly what he needed.

He closed his eyes and focused on his master, focused on giving him the best blow-job he could.

He felt John's free hand drift down to his. He moved Rodney's hand up, back to the little nub he had played with earlier.

Rodney moved slightly, losing his rhythm as his balance shifted. It was harder this way—no way to brace himself—but it gave John much more control and pleasure. And in the long run, that was all that mattered.

His top's hips began to shift, matching Rodney's rhythm.

He hummed, adding a little vibration as he lifted his other hand, letting John place it so he didn't have to open his eyes or look up.

John shifted his hand, so now Rodney had a little nub under each one.

With a hum and a moan, Rodney let himself get lost in the sensations of giving his master pleasure.

It seemed like all too fast, John was coming, filling his mouth.

He swallowed everything down, but kept sucking wanting more. He only stopped when John finally tugged him free, holding him steady so he couldn't dive back in. Rodney whimpered.

"Too sensitive, buddy." John looked wrecked.

Rodney tried to move, to shift, but John's fingers dug into his upper arms, tightening down.

"No. When we get on the plane, I'll let you touch some more, but right now we have to go. I don't want to miss this flight." With his free hand, John caressed Rodney's face.

He tried to shake John off again, his master's cock a siren song of perfection to him.

"Rodney." John's voice took on a note of command.

He whimpered but stilled, tearing his eyes away from John's cock.

John smiled, but shook his head. "Good boy. You're so perfect, and I will let you have more time later. When we get back home, I'll even let you spend the day under my desk again, just holding me in your mouth and sucking all day. But right now, we have to leave."

Rodney nodded, dropping his eyes in submission. John's hands left his arms a few moments later as he got himself re-adjusted.

His top put a finger under his chin, tilting it up for a soft kiss. "Thank you. That was fantastic."

He smiled up at John, warming from the praise. John kissed him again, and then took his hand, pulling him to his feet.

After grabbing their carryon and tickets, John led them from the lounge and into the terminal, moving toward the gate with confidence and without pausing. Rodney just kept his head down, trying to ignore the staring and the whispered comments as they passed.

The gate wasn't far, and with their first-class tickets, they walked right on. John found their seats, and ushered Rodney into the window seat, where only John could touch him.

This plane was much bigger and they had the first two seats right in the nose of the plane. You had to love 747s. No one would walk past them and they'd have some kind of privacy for their overnight flight.

John set about getting them settled, starting with pulling a few straps out of their carry on before he stowed it away. He unwrapped one of the soft blankets and a pillow that had been provided for them. Using the straps to tie Rodney's ankles to the seat, he then clipped his hands together. He lifted Rodney's shirt and then connected his hands to the harness on his torso before covering up his handiwork with the blanket. The pillow went behind his head to make him more comfortable.

Rodney tugged at the bindings, moaning quietly as he shifted in the seat. John smiled at him as he fastened his seatbelt, securing it tightly across his hips.

"If you need to use the men's room, get my attention and I'll take you. Otherwise, you won't move unless I want you to."

He turned his head to the side, gazing at John with wide-open and aroused eyes. He loved it when John got that tone in his voice.

John just smiled, and the cock ring started to buzz softly.

Rodney moaned—a little more loudly than John wanted. His hand covered his mouth and he leaned in, looking him in the eyes.

"If you want it to continue, you have to keep it down. Close your eyes, and relax into it. When the stewardess comes by, I'll just tell her you're asleep. But if you can't handle that, I'll have to turn it off."

He blinked once even as his tongue snaked out to lick the palm of John's hand.

That got a soft laugh out of his top. "You just want to get your mouth on me again, don't you?"

Rodney hummed in agreement, licking him again. This was about as much bondage as they could get away with in public so between John's hand on his mouth and the buzzing of the ring, Rodney felt amazing, like he was flying without needing the plane. Add a blindfold and….god…

Pulling his hand away, John shook his head. But then he looked through the rest of the first class gifts, and pulled out an eye mask. "Why don't we see if this helps with the illusion that you're sleeping, hmm?"

He moaned again, the sound low in his throat.

Chuckling, John slipped it on. "Remember, quiet. You can make small noises, but nothing loud enough to be heard above the engines any further away than my seat."

He shuddered hard as soon as John's hands left his face. He was so hard, so turned on right now.

"You look so fucking hot right now. Trembling and aroused for me. God, I love you." John's voice was low, sexy.

He groaned again and John's hand closed over his mouth again, voice whispering in his ear.

"Ah ah. I can't gag you here, buddy."

But John wouldn't have to. Rodney had willingly given his voice to John. He'd keep quiet, but right now it was just so hard. He trembled, tugging at the restraints John had constructed. He was spiraling down out of control and it felt amazing.

"Just relax. Let go. Stop fighting it." John's voice was soothing.

John's free hand stroked along his arm, soothing him, helping him focus and pull back from the edges of his desperate arousal.

"Good. Very good. So proud of you, Rodney. You're doing fantastic."

It took several minutes for the trembling to subside, for John to feel comfortable enough to release his hold. Rodney just let the vibrations of the Ancient ring and the plane, flow through his body, sending him down into his own private world of subspace. Before he knew it, he could feel the backwards press as they took off, pushing him deeper into his seat.

As soon as the chime rang for the ten-thousand foot mark, John was shifting beside him, reclining his seat all the way back, adjusting Rodney's bindings and seatbelt. His hands were firm, confident. They gently stroked against his crotch, feeling Rodney's hardness. A few seconds later and the seatbelt was adjusted so it fell across his cock. John tightened it down pulling a moan from Rodney as it trapped him, increasing the sensations a hundredfold.

"Mine." It was whispered softly into Rodney's ear.

He nodded, holding back his moan as he shifted in the seat, everything pulling and tugging and holding him so securely.

"Are you leaking for me, Rodney?"

Rodney swallowed back a groan and nodded again.

"Good. I want you like this for the entire trip. I want to be able to reach over and feel you hard and ready any time I want."

He licked his lips, managing to keep his moans quiet. He loved John like this. Loved it when he was strong and firm. Loved when he took him in hand and made him submit to his desires. He was so aroused, so turned on.

"Your body is mine. Maybe I'll let you come when we get home. But I might not. You will be hard and ready for me to take you again when we get there, however."

Rodney whimpered quietly.

John's chuckle was dirty and evil and perfect.

They settled into a comfortable silence, John's hands touching him, stroking him from time to time. The ring's vibrations remained steady, keeping him on edge.

From time to time he heard his top murmur something, probably to a stewardess, but for the most part they were left alone.

At one point the tip of a fork grazed his bottom lip and Rodney obediently opened his mouth, taking the food John gave him. Some was good, some wasn't, but he swallowed it all without complaint. If John wanted him to have it—even if he didn't like it—he'd eat it. It was John's right.

After that, it was quiet petting again.

His bladder, though, began its steady protest sometime later, making Rodney restless. He didn't want to get up, didn't want to lose this feeling.

"Problem?"

He nodded once.

John was silent for a moment, then there was a very light pressure on his bladder. "Need to get up?"

Rodney tried not to whimper, but his nod was enthusiastic.

"One second." He felt John unhook the straps and his hands, and then the eyemask was pulled off. "I'll put it all back on when we get back."

He blinked his eyes a few times, trying to get them adjusted to the dim lighting on the plane. Licking his lips, he nodded, shifting his muscles now that he had the ability to.

John helped him stand, and then took his hand, leading him the few steps to the bathroom.

He was a little stiff and the walk was good, warming and stretching the limbs that had been restrained in one place. The plane was dark, the lights lowered for their overnight flight back to Colorado. Most everyone was asleep except for a few who were engrossed in movies, the light shining eerily on their faces.

Because it was first class, the bathrooms were larger than standard airlines. It was a tight fit, but John managed to squeeze them both in.

Rodney glanced over his shoulder, his eyes raised in question.

"No one but me touches you."

His eyebrow shot up, but he didn't argue, settling back against John's chest.

His master undid his pants, taking care of him just like he had done at the resort. Rodney realized he hadn't actually touched himself in that area in weeks. For any reason.

He'd gotten so used to having John's hands on him that right now the thought of doing it himself felt….weird.

When he was done, John shuffled them around, and unzipped his own pants. "Might as well take care of myself while we're here."

Rodney watched. He loved how John's hands looked on his cock. Well, honestly, he just simply loved John's cock.

His lover took care of himself, then zipped everything back up and washed his hands.

Rodney slid his arms around John's waist, pressing against him.

Smiling, John turned his head and kissed Rodney softly.

He let them stay that way for a few minutes before untangling them.

"All right, back to the seats. We'll be more comfortable there anyway."

Rodney nodded, letting John lead the way.

Once they were back, his top rearranged him exactly as before, tied down, buzzing, blindfolded.

Much to his surprise, the flight he'd been dreading turned out to be a lot easier than he anticipated. The final approach announcement startled Rodney out of his headspace a little, the realization of how long he'd been aroused and leaking for John pulling a soft moan from deep inside.

"Almost there, buddy."

John slowly prepared them for deplaning, unhooking Rodney, caressing him the entire time. By the time John got the seat back to its upright position and the blindfold off his eyes, Rodney could have come just from one word from John.

His master's expression was approving, and it made Rodney hum with pleasure.

John tightened down the seatbelt again, making sure to trap Rodney's cock within its grasp. Rodney reached out, trying to hold back his moan of pleasure. John caught and held his hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Since we're back in Colorado, I won't be able to hold your hand off the plane. Just stay close, no talking, and we'll be through the airport quickly."

Rodney licked his lips and swallowed down another moan, nodding. His other hand reached up, gently sliding across the collar around his neck as his eyes opened in question.

"Leave it. We aren't likely to run into anyone who knows us, and no one who sees us will really understand what it means."

He nodded again, tugging John toward him. There was no way he was moving; not the way John had secured him in place.

"And when I get you home..."

Rodney moaned quietly, letting his lips slide against John's, swallowing his master's words and his own noises.

They didn't part until the bump that signaled landing. John was panting hard.

Rodney hummed, licking his lips as he caught sight of his master's dilated and aroused eyes. They still had a two-hour drive home. Maybe John would let him suck him of once they were in the car.

Swallowing hard, John closed his eyes briefly, visibly trying to get himself back under control.

He could see John's erection against the fabric of his jeans. It had been a long time since they'd fucked in the Hawaii airport lounge.

John swallowed again, reaching down to adjust himself. "Later. Right now we need to get off, get our bags, and get to the car."

Rodney nodded, smiling at John's discomfort. But he was patient as they taxied to the gate, waiting for John to unfasten his seatbelt and tug him to his feet before moving on his own.

They deplaned first, another advantage to paying more for the tickets, and their bags didn't take long to come. Rodney was too focused on his lover to notice if anyone stared at them this time, and then they were in the car, alone again.

As soon as John closed the driver's side door, Rodney tugged him over, kissing him deeply.

His master immediately took control, his tongue plunging inside Rodney's mouth.

He moaned loudly, fingers threading through John's hair. His other hand slid under John's shirt, skating across skin.

Breaking the kiss with a gasp, John put his head against the steering wheel. "Home. We need to get home now."

Shaking his head, Rodney reached out, cupping John's erection in his hand. With a gasp, John arched as much as possible in the confined seat.

Rodney shifted his hand higher, fingers working at the button on John's jeans, popping it open.

Breath hitching, John moaned low. "God...not...not enough room to do anything here."

He didn't pause, though, tugging down the zipper, making sure he didn't catch anything important. That would certainly change the mood in a hurry. He managed to get John to turn toward him before he shoved his own seat all the way back and he slid down onto the floor. The gear shift would be a slight problem, but he'd work around it.

"What are you..."

Rodney smiled up at him, his fingers brushing against John's lips, quieting him. He tugged John's jeans down a little and then pulled John's cock out through the hole in his boxers, stroking carefully.

Breathing hard, John just watched him.

He didn't have a lot of time and they were in the middle of a very public parking lot, but he just had to taste him, had to pleasure him. It had been…hours since he'd last touched him and after their vacation it had felt like forever. Licking his lips, he leaned in and wrapped his mouth around the head of John's cock, sucking carefully, moaning as the taste filled his mouth.

"Oh fuck..." John's moan matched Rodney's.

He didn't do anything fancy or special, instead opted for fast and simple.

It didn't take his master long to respond, with a long, low groan he was coming down Rodney's throat.

Rodney hummed as he swallowed everything down. Once John was finished he licked him carefully and then tucked everything away, zipping and buttoning up John's jeans before he settled back into the passenger seat, adjusting it once again.

John was still panting, his eyes closed.

He reached out, threading his fingers through John's, simply holding him as he came down from his climax. Rodney was hard—rock hard—but he'd wait until John was ready for him to come.

Finally his lover squeezed his hand. "Wow. That was... amazing."

Rodney smiled, warming from his master's praise.

Humming, John started the car, pulling out onto the highway.

Once they were out on the road, Rodney tugged John's hand over into his lap, resting it on his thigh.

Squeezing again, John shot a quick smile in his direction.

He returned the smile and shifted, letting John's fingers brush against him.

"Mmmm. We're going to have fun when we get home. I want you naked as soon as we walk in the door."

Rodney hummed, smiling at John, a small ball of anticipation curling in his stomach. He shifted again, bumping up against John's hand.

Chuckling, John glanced over with another smile. "I love you."

Rodney mouthed the words back, his eyes completely fixed on his lover. He hummed in contentment. A few minutes later he shifted again in his seat, this time unbuttoning his own pants. Without boxers, his cock was right there—red and hard and leaking. He pushed away the fabric without touching himself and then gently picked up John's hand, placing it on top.

His top's hiss of indrawn breath was loud in the quiet car. "Good boy. Very good. Still nice and hard for me." He gently stroked it.

Rodney groaned, shoving his own hands under his ass so he wouldn't be tempted to touch. The slow glide was so perfect.

Chuckling again, John continued to touch him too light and too slow to even hope for an orgasm. "So pretty like this. I could watch you like this all day."

He moaned in agreement, the nod of his head a little shaky. The only thing better would be if John was fucking him at the same time.

"When we get home, the first thing I'm going to do is give you the swats you earned by talking. Then I'm going to fuck you while your ass is nice and warm."

Rodney groaned. Thirty swats for his six words. But he deserved it, had earned it, and it was John's right.

John gave his cock a sympathetic squeeze, but Rodney knew that didn't mean his master would go easy on him.

Closing his eyes, he gave himself up to the sensations John was creating, letting his mind float.

He lost track of time, so was surprised when the hum of the car suddenly stopped. "Tuck yourself away and head upstairs. I'll bring up the bags. I want you naked and kneeling in the bedroom by the time I get there."

He opened his eyes with a start, his apartment parking lot looking familiar and yet strange at the same time. He nodded to John, unhooking his seatbelt and holding out his hands for the keys to the apartment.

John pulled the house key off the ring and handed it over. "I won't be long."

With a nod of understanding, Rodney immediately climbed out of the car, heading upstairs as quickly as possible given his current situation. He could hear John closing the trunk already and knew he needed to hustle. It took him two tries to get the key in the lock and by the time he got the door open, he'd already heard the squeal of the car alarm as it activated.

Leaving the key on the table next to the door, Rodney began stripping as he moved to the bedroom, ignoring the pile of mail on the counter and the blinking light of the answering machine.

The shirt was tossed onto the chair in the bedroom. He sat on the edge, toeing off his flip flops before standing to drag his pants off. Rodney heard the front door close and knew he was out of time. He was barely in place, chest heaving a little, when John walked into the bedroom.

He could feel his top's eyes dragging over him, taking in his nudity, his erection, how well he had obeyed. "Very, very good."

Rodney panted, keeping his eyes angled down.

He heard John moving, and bare feet moved into his line of vision a moment later. His master ran a hand through Rodney's hair, continuing to murmur praise about how good he was, how perfect.

He leaned into John's touches, accepting the praise and the caresses with ease.

"Move up to the bed. I want you on your hands and knees, both spread as wide as you can without losing the ability to support yourself."

Rodney obeyed immediately, climbing to his feet and onto the bed, moving to the middle. He adjusted his limbs a few times before finally stilling. Waiting.

Without a word, John was securing him to the bed, using the straps and anchor points of their bondage bed to cross-secure Rodney, ensuring that he couldn't move from this position even if he wanted to.

The attachment points on the harness even came in handy and John used them liberally. His master had planned for this. He had to have, even before Rodney had willingly given his voice over to him. He groaned quietly, tugging a little as he realized he could barely budge an inch.

"First things first." Rodney felt John's fingers tug the plug out of his ass and he moaned, but then he felt the coolness of the punishment paddle resting against his ass cheeks.

He whimpered, knowing it was going to hurt.

"You spoke six words after the no-talking rule was put into place. That's thirty swats. This will hurt, but I'll make them fast."

Rodney nodded, closing his eyes, his entire body tensing.

And then it began. John was true to his word, counting the swats out loud. They were fast, but he wasn't softening the blows.

The first sob crept out around number seventeen. God, they hurt.

But his master didn't stop.

By twenty, he could feel the tears leaking out of his eyes. His entire body was shaking, every swat jolting him.

"Let it out, Rodney." John said it between counts. "Let yourself go."

After the next swat—twenty-three—another sob broke out. It broke the dam and he pulled in a shuddering breath, whimpers and sobs following in quick succession, unable to hold it back any longer.

Finally it was over. He was only really aware of it because John was next to him, petting his hair, whispering soothing words and telling him what a good boy he was.

John's hands stroked him, caressed him until he calmed. A tissue was pressed against his nose and he blew, letting John take care of him.

"Such a good boy." John pressed kisses to his face, along his back. And then a cool finger was pressing at his entrance, pushing inside. Rodney didn't know when John had gotten the lube, but the single finger was slick.

He whimpered, his ass sore and hot from John's spanking. He'd long since lost his erection.

"Shhh, just relax and feel. The punishment part is over, and you can talk now if you'd like. You won't get any more swats. I just want you to close your eyes and feel."

Rodney nodded, but he didn't have any words. He was one big nerve, all the edges sharp and raw.

John didn't try to stretch him, and avoided touching the sore cheeks. Instead, he probed in, and seemed to have no trouble finding Rodney's prostate. He started to rub it slowly.

Another sob leaked out of his mouth as the pleasure rolled through him. For the first time ever since his relationship with John began he felt completely out of control. John truly owned him—heart, body, mind, and soul. His body responded to his master without conscious thoughts of his own.

The pleasurable pressure didn't let up, it only intensified. Rodney felt the gentle stretch of a second finger being pushed in next to the first.

His mind was splintered in hundreds of different directions, thinking of nothing and everything at the same time. His body, though, responded to John as if it were linked directly to him.

He was only vaguely aware of the fingers disappearing, only to be replaced by something larger, warmer. John. All John.

His body stretched to accommodate him and Rodney groaned, loving the stretch, loving how John filled him, claimed him.

The juxtaposition between the heat and soreness of his cheeks and the pleasure deep inside him merged into one big sensation. It was overwhelming and perfect as his master fucked him.

He was flying and he didn't care if he never touched the ground again. His own pleasure, his own climax didn't matter. He felt amazing like this and wished it would never end.

"Oh god, oh fuck oh, Rodney..." John moaned, and Rodney felt heat once more filling him.

It was perfect. Rodney was lost in his own world of pleasure and nothing else except pleasing John mattered.

***

John pulled out of his lover's body slowly, careful not to irritate the rosy skin. He was spent, orgasm-induced relaxation threatening to take him down.

He swiftly unhooked the bulk of the tethers from Rodney's body, then tugged on his sub, rearranging them both so they were on their sides, Rodney snuggled into John's arms. He wanted to give the other man some comfort after the punishment and then pushing him over the edge like this.

Rodney was so pliant and submissive, curling into him with a quiet sigh and moan.

John noted that his sub had gotten hard again, after losing his erection during the punishment. He would decide later if Rodney would get to come this evening or not. He needed to see where the other man's headspace was.

But right now he was relaxed in John's arms, pressing in as close as he could get.

Smiling, John pressed his lips against Rodney's hair. He was relaxed and content. There was nowhere else in the world he would rather be.

Rodney was purring now, which surprised John in a way. After everything, he figured his lover would be complaining about his ass, about not coming. Something had changed. Rodney didn't seem to feel the need to speak, still, and John didn't want to push him. He wanted to give the other man as long as possible in this place he had found.

He pressed a kiss against John's shoulder as he slid his leg between John's.

"You still with me, buddy?"

Rodney hummed, pressing another kiss to John's skin.

Smiling, John squeezed him with a little hug, then relaxed into the bed. Between the flights and then the drive, he was admittedly exhausted.

His lover shifted upwards, snuffing into John's neck once he settled down again.

Rolling a little, John moved so he was on his back, letting his lover curl up even more tightly against him. "Love you."

"Loveyou," he whispered, words slurred together.

"Sleep. We'll rest for a bit before the next round and dinner."

"Mmmmnottired."

Chuckling, John had to shake his head lightly. "Well, I am. So you can snuggle and stay here next to me while I sleep for a bit. I only want a quick nap."

"Mmmmkay," he mumbled, licking John's earlobe.

Humming, John closed his eyes again. Heaven. That's what this was.

Rodney stroked and caressed him, pressing kisses to skin. John drifted, happy, content, for a while. He didn't really try to keep track of time.

His lover eventually stopped moving, his body curled around John. Every now and then he'd release a soft contented purr or hum.

Finally, John's stomach told him it had been a while, and they should probably get something to eat.

Rodney was a dead weight on him, his body completely relaxed against him.

"Rodney? You awake?"

He hummed quietly.

It made John smile. "I'm going to go make us something to eat. Grab a pillow and come to the kitchen with me. I want you on your knees so I can pet you as I feel like it."

Rodney nodded and then slowly pushed himself up into a seated position. He caressed John's cheek with a hand, his eyes soft, before he shifted on the bed, moving to the edge. His feet hit the floor a moment later and he was off toward the living room.

Grinning, John stretched, and followed, padding into the kitchen.

His lover was bent over the arm of the couch, grabbing one of the pillows John knew was particularly well-padded.

Being careful not to do it too hard, he gave the still-pink cheeks a little slap on his way past.

The moan he got in response stopped him in his tracks. It was low and dirty and full of possibilities.

Glancing over, he saw that Rodney had frozen, and was standing there gripping the pillow, cock still red and glistening at the tip.

As John watched, he shuddered hard once, moaning again, his dick twitching.

Moving back around Rodney, John gave his sub's ass a few more light taps to see what would happen.

Rodney grip on the pillow tightened down as he groaned. He shifted a few beats later, leaning down, the pillow braced on the arm of the couch, his ass angled out toward John.

Since this wasn't punishment, John made sure he avoided the worst of where he knew the other man would be sore, keeping his slaps lighter, more sensual.

The sounds…God, the sounds Rodney made could kill him. Groans and moans of pleasure with the edge of pain, of too much. But Rodney wasn't shifting away. He only spread his legs, opening up more of himself to John's hand.

"So fucking hot..."

"Fuck me…please," he panted, the words quiet amid the sounds of his pleasure.

God... how could he refuse? John moved to an end table, pulling out a bottle of lube he knew was stashed there. It didn't take him long before he was sliding home.

Rodney groaned as soon as John was pressed in deep, his muscles clenching down a little on John's cock. He shifted a moment later, standing up straight and leaning into John. He was panting hard, but it was only pleasure John saw on his face.

"You're so beautiful, so perfect. Love you, Rodney..." John was panting himself.

John wrapped his arms around Rodney's torso, tugging him closer, settling in deeper. Rodney's hands slid John's hands up higher, settling on his erect nipples, moaning as soon as they made contact. His neck he offered up, shifting his head to the side to give John more than enough access. "Take. Play. Please. Yours." he whispered between panting breaths.

"Mine." John leaned in, capturing a bit of skin in his mouth even as he started to toy with Rodney's nipples.

Rodney howled, his body coming alive beneath John's hands.

But John didn't let up. He worked his sub, making sure the mark he was leaving would be one his lover would feel for days.

He shuddered and trembled in John's hands, sounds given up as easily as his body's reactions. Here he was John's—completely and unconditionally. Drunk with his own pleasure and submission, there was nothing John could do to him that would jar him.

Once the mark was done, John bent his lover over the couch again, moving slowly, just enjoying the way Rodney's body gripped his own. He was hard, aroused, but the earlier orgasm had taken the desperation off.

Here, like this, he could take him, play with him, push him to the edge and keep him there.

And that's exactly what he did. John did his best to drag it out, trying to keep Rodney in this perfect headspace he had found.

Moaning and groaning and howling in pleasure, Rodney's body was pliant and tense at the same time. He was giving everything up to John, demanding nothing, asking for nothing apart from what John was willing to give him.

Reaching around, John got a hand on Rodney's erection, stroking it slowly.

He whimpered as soon as John's hand closed around him, but didn't try to move away. Panting and moaning continually, his body trembled and shuddered with each and every stroke. It was beautiful and perfect. But did he end this here or let him stay on the edge of his arousal through dinner? It was a hard decision.

Given how aroused Rodney was, and how deep in headspace he was, John had a feeling his sub was going to pass out when he was allowed to come. Since John wanted to get some food in him first, he decided to stick with his original plan of letting Rodney come later.

But God…Rodney like this was amazing.

John wanted to be able to fuck him later, after dinner, so with a moan, he forced himself to pull out now.

The keening moan of loss, though, tore right through him.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'm right here." John turned his lover around, pulling him into his arms.

He was shaking hard, nearly clawing at him in his attempt to get closer.

John hushed him again. "I want to fuck you properly after dinner, but I can't do that if I come now."

Rodney sobbed quietly, but let John calm him, his desperateness easing off each minute John held him, stroking his back.

"So good. I'm so proud of you. Such a good boy. My Rodney, my beautiful Rodney..."

As soon as the sobs changed to purrs of contentment, John knew he'd be able to move, to draw Rodney with him into the kitchen.

He grabbed the pillow on the way, and tossed it to the floor next to his own seat, gently easing his sub down onto it. They kept a few straps in a kitchen drawer for use here, so he pulled those out, and did a simple tie, hooking Rodney's hands and feet together, locked behind his back.

With a hand under his chin, John eased Rodney's head up, his sub's eyes opening slowly to meet his gaze. God. So blue and intense. The trust and love he saw brought him to his knees, pressing kisses to his skin, his lips—wherever he could reach.

"Love you, I love you..." John repeated it over and over, between kisses.

Rodney managed to bend his head and catch John's mouth with his own. He opened up to let John's tongue slide inside, kissing him back with his own silent passion.

With a sigh, John finally broke it off, rising to pad to the fridge to see what he could make for them, aware of Rodney's eyes on him the whole time.

There wasn't much in the fridge—mostly some odd science projects. The freezer was more promising. Some frozen veggies and meats. If there was pasta in the pantry, he might be able to come up with something.

John let himself fall into the comforting routine of cooking, enjoying the smells and textures of it.

And Rodney…Rodney was just perfect. He watched John with heavily-lidded eyes, purring each time John would pause to touch him, leaning into the caresses. What would it be like to have this all the time, he wondered. He let his fingers slide through Rodney's hair. What would it be like to have a full-time sub like this? Would he? Could he? It was so tempting.

But...

Would they really be able to sustain this kind of thing all the time? Or would he just lose all the things he loved about his partner?

This…this was such a treat, a pleasure for both him and Rodney. A way to let go and forget about everything else except their own needs and desires.

And as much as Rodney might want it, John couldn't imagine Rodney being happy in the long term like this. If the positions were reversed, John thought he'd be resentful after a time and that was something he'd never want. He'd miss the conversation, the brilliant light that flashed through Rodney's eyes when he discovered some amazing alien technology.

With a small nod of his head, John has his answer, his decision.

They might not stay there forever, but they had to go back. They hadn't finished what they had started out to do, and there was still too much work left. Rodney needed the opportunity to stretch his mental muscles, to be part of the discovery and invention Atlantis bred. And John needed Rodney to be happy.

But right now, he had time to give Rodney this pleasure, his peace.

So he puttered, took his time preparing the meal, letting himself relax and enjoy the peace as well. When it was done, he brought one big bowl to the table, helping Rodney turn so he was now facing John's seat before getting comfortable himself.

John felt his breath catch as he looked down at his lover, his sub, his partner, the complete trust and love Rodney had for him radiating so strongly.

Rodney already had his mouth open, waiting for John to feed him. With a smile, John didn't keep him waiting. He had to admit, as weird as it might sound, this was probably the one thing he would miss the most going back. He loved feeding Rodney, loved the casual intimacy it created between them.

They'd be able to do it in their apartment, but it was only one meal—and not even every day. Rodney hummed in appreciation as he chewed, his eyes fixed on John, barely blinking.

John forced those thoughts away. There would be time for them later, and especially in this state, his sub would pick up on it quickly. John didn't want him unhappy. He wanted his lover to spend their last evening of vacation enjoying a blissful connection.

Like this, it was like they shared one brain, each focused on their combined pleasure. And he shouldn't have been surprised that between one bite and the next, Rodney had ducked his head, nuzzling John's cock with his nose, his tongue licking the tip.

John sucked in a breath, focusing on not choking on his own bite of food. He couldn't help the small hitched moan, however.

But Rodney was gentle with him, pulling out his pleasure slowly, carefully.

They settled into a rhythm, bite of food for Rodney, nuzzling while John ate, and then again. John was slowly losing his mind with how good it all felt.

Rodney hummed and purred in contentment at John's feet, not pushing or pleading for more, simply enjoying what John allowed.

When they were done, John rose, putting the dishes in the sink before contemplating Rodney. "When I unlock you, go into the bedroom and get on the bed, on your back."

He nodded once, licking his lips. He opened his mouth twice, but paused each time before saying anything.

John paused, giving his sub time to collect his thoughts.

John had to stop himself from laughing when Rodney finally did speak. He'd been expecting something profound, not the quiet "bathroom" Rodney did finally whisper.

Grinning, he nodded. "We'll do that first."

Unhooking Rodney's ankles, John left his sub's arms secured. Helping him to his feet, they moved into the master bathroom where John helped Rodney take care of business, cleaning him up afterward in this strangely intimate dance they'd begun.

When that was done, he unhooked his lover's arms. "Bed."

Rodney nodded, licking his lips, a quiet "yes, sir" falling from his mouth as he padded silently to the bedroom.

God, John had to squeeze the base of his cock, taking a few deep breaths. He wanted this to last.

By the time he walked out of the bathroom, Rodney was settled in the middle of their bed on his back, arms and legs stretched out, laid out in a spread eagle position without the straps to hold him down.

"God..." Swallowing, John climbed up, not willing to wait any longer. He pushed Rodney's legs up and out, sliding home once more.

Rodney moaned, his body arching on the bed as they connected.

"Mine, all mine, always..."

Rodney crossed his ankles behind his back and then, John started thrusting, loving the feeling of being buried balls-deep in his lover, loving the sounds Rodney made when he let go in full submission. Here he was unguarded, completely open.

It took some effort, but John managed to get a hand around Rodney's erection. "I want you to come when I do. I want to feel you all around me."

Rodney nodded, moaning loudly as John stroked him, his hands clenching and unclenching above his head. The Ancient ring would stop him from coming until John was ready.

They moved together, as one, both of them losing themselves a little to the other. When John felt his orgasm coming, unstoppable, he loosened Rodney's ring all at once. "Now, come now."

His sub obeyed unquestioningly, his body erupting with its own climax, bearing down on John's cock and pulling his orgasm from him by force.

John lost some time, coming to beside his lover, where he had, somehow, apparently managed to roll to the side. Rodney sounded like he was still out, so John just curled in closer, enjoying the afterglow.

It was sometime later that Rodney stirred with a quiet moan, his body trembling slightly.

"Mmmmmm?"

Rodney shifted in John's arms, rolling in toward him and latching on with arms and legs. His face was buried in the crook of John's shoulder and neck, lips pressed to skin.

Humming, John held him close. Nice, this was very nice.

His lover relaxed completely a little while later, his breath ghosting over John's skin as he fell into slumber. It was still relatively early, but John wasn't sure how much sleep Rodney had actually gotten on the plane coming home.

With a soft sigh, he readjusted them both for maximum comfort, and let himself drift off to sleep.

Warmth around his cock woke him.

"Nnngh?!"

A muffled chuckle was Rodney's only response, his mouth currently occupied with other things.

"Oh, oh fuck..." John bucked a little, the pleasure intense.

Rodney's hands held onto his hips, keeping John more-or-less in place. When John glanced down all he saw was blanket, his lover hunched under the covers as he pleasured him.

Giving himself up to it, John let go, making noise and letting his sub know how good it felt.

Rodney continued sucking him, pulling him to the edge and then easing him back down. Over and over again, until John was moaning in frustration.

"Please, please...."

It was then that Rodney pulled off, climbing up John's body, rubbing John's cock the entire way. His face popped out of the blankets a few seconds later, a smirk on his face.

John keened, arching up, wanting, needing more.

Rodney pushed back the blankets as he kneeled over John, his hand wrapped around John's length as he angled it toward his entrance.

Panting, John was beyond thought. He just needed to come, was desperate for it.

His lover settled down on him, John sliding in deeply to his lover's ass. Once he was pressed in all the way, Rodney laid down on John's chest and simply stopped moving.

"Nononono, please, please, please..."

Rodney managed to get his hands between John's back and the mattress, holding him close, pinning them even tighter together.

John tried to buck, but he didn't have any room. He was effectively pinned in place. A small sob leaked out.

"So good," Rodney whispered. "Feel so good."

Panting and moaning, John nodded. It was good. Very good.

"You make me feel so full, stretch me so well," he whispered, the tone low and dirty.

"Oh fuck..." John tried to buck again, and was once more thwarted.

"Love your cock. The way it tastes, the way it feels inside of me." Rodney clenched his muscles a little, squeezing John and pulling out a heartfelt moan from him. "You drive me crazy when I can't touch it, feel it. My mouth waters just looking at it."

"Please..." John didn't even know what he was begging for at this point.

"Love your hands on me—touching me, teasing me, tormenting me. Such sweet pleasure to know I'm yours." The words were whispered into his ear, but it was like they had a direct connection to his cock, still buried deep inside Rodney's body. "It gives me a thrill to think of what you do to me, can do to me. I think about what it will be like when you will tie me to the bed and leave me there only to return to take me, letting me give you the pleasure of my body."

He moaned again. God, yes, please, that.

"Can you picture it, John? Can you? You'd get it all set up in the morning, start even before I was awake. The blindfold would be first, then the gag. I'd rouse when you buckled that into place, as you put the padlock on. The Ancient ring would already be on, but you'd tighten it down, make sure I wouldn't come. You'd add the earplugs and nipple clamps next before you tugged me to the edge of the bed. You'd make me kneel, feet hanging off the side, legs spread as far apart as you could make them. You'd fasten my feet in place right on the edge and then lock my wrists to them, force me to bend over, opening me up for you to use. Can you picture it, John?" he whispered, his breath hot against John's skin. "You'd secure me in place, making sure I couldn't break the position and then you'd turn on the ring, making me cry out for you, making me want you even more."

John was the one crying out, needing it, needing to come.

"You'd slick up my hole then with your fingers, coating me thoroughly. And then you'd slide in a dildo, one of the big ones that vibrates. You'd want me stretched and ready for you. So when you came back you could just slide right in."

"Please! Oh god..."

"Can you picture it, John? Can you picture me like that? You'd go off and do some shopping knowing I was here waiting for you, knowing that you could slide in and take me as soon as you got home."

"Yes, please, Rodney..."

"And that's just one thing you could do. There are so many more."

"Need you, oh god, please, need to come…"

"Do you…sir?"

John's body made another attempt to buck, to find some friction.

But Rodney just chuckled, holding on tightly.

Moaning, John found himself slipping, found his ability to think fuzzing out, and it was good, so fucking good.

And then suddenly Rodney was rolling them, his legs splaying out under John. "I'm yours, sir. Take what you want, what's yours."

With a growl, John thrust hard once, twice, and then he was coming, already so close to the edge, that was all it took. He collapsed on top of Rodney, still moaning softly.

His lover was moaning and purring under him, oddly content for someone who hadn't come. He gathered John in his arms, holding him close as he caught his breath.

"Mmmmmmmmorning."

"Morning, sir," he said quietly. John could hear the smile on his lover's face.

He managed to lift his head slightly to give Rodney a goofy grin.

"Feeling better?"

"Uh huh."

"Good. Mission accomplished."

Humming, John put his head back down. This was the best way to wake up.

"One question," Rodney finally said, a few minutes later.

"Hmm?"

"Can I go pee?"

Chuckling, John rolled off him. "Gimmie a minute?"

"Of course. I didn't really expect you to let me go on my own."

Smiling, John reached over to take Rodney's hand, squeezing it lightly.

"Do you realize I haven't touched myself in weeks?"

Thinking back, John sat up. "Huh. No, you haven't. Your body is mine."

Rodney hummed and nodded. "All yours." He paused for a moment, a light smile on his lips. "At first it bothered me a little, when you'd take that much control, but now…now it's just how we are."

Running a hand down his sub's chest, John smiled. "Now you get upset when I don't take that much control."

Rodney nodded again. "I never realized how much I hung onto. All the little crap."

John scooted up so he could press a light kiss to his lover's lips. "Price of being a genius. It's not easy to just shut it off. You just need a little help with that sometimes."

"I'll take all the help I can get." His lips quirked in an odd smile.

"And I love being the one who provides it."

"Only you."

"Always."

Rodney smiled easily. "Can we pee now?"

Laughing, John sat up and rolled off the bed. "Come on. Let's go take care of you."

His lover followed a few moments later, semen dripping down his thighs as he moved into the bathroom just ahead of John.

He was aware that it shouldn't in any way be hot, but it so totally was.

After getting Rodney situated, John turned on the shower adjusting the water and letting it run, steam billowing out of the shower enclosure. Padding into the bedroom, he grabbed the key for the locks and then bent down, beginning with Rodney's ankles. The wrist cuffs and the harness were next, his lover's skin imprinted with the ghost of the image of the leather.

As he worked, he pressed his lips to each spot, soothing the skin with his tongue.

Rodney was silent, simply watching, letting John work.

When his sub was completely naked of everything, John led him into the hot water, relaxing and losing himself a little in the routine of washing Rodney.

His sub moved easily, without the need for John to ask him or tell him to shift. This once complicated process had turned into a synchronized dance, connecting them on a sensual and basic level.

By the time they were done, and stepping out so John could dry them, he noted that they were both completely relaxed, leaning into each other, both taking comfort just in the other's presence for now. It wasn't sexual as much as intimate.

They padded into the bedroom and John deposited his lover on the edge of the bed before turning toward the dresser, getting ready to pull out some clothes. Rodney's words stopped him.

"I'm unadorned."

He glanced back. "We need to go out and get some food for the next few days before we head back. I'm going to put your jeweled set on you before I get you dressed."

Rodney licked his lips. "How about the cage?"

"I haven't decided yet what I want to put on you. I hadn't gotten that far. Would you like the cage?"

His sub nodded, offering a shy smile. "And a plug."

John turned and moved toward Rodney, pulling him into his arms. "That was a given."

Rodney wrapped his arms around John's waist, tugging him closer. "And what's this 'we' thing with the shopping?"

"We need food, and I don't want to be away from you that long. I want you where I can see you."

"You could just tie me to the bed before you leave."

"I could."

"I'd be here waiting for you."

"But I couldn't touch you the whole time I'm gone."

"But then no one else could touch me either."

"True." John ran his hands down Rodney's body, cupping his ass almost gently.

Rodney moaned quietly, arching into John's body.

"But I couldn't touch you, see you, have you close. I don't want to be away from you for that long. I need you next to me."

"It's not…not like you can do anything when we're at the store." He stuttered a little as John squeezed his ass.

"I can look at you." John shook his head. "No, I want you there. I need you next to me."

Rodney scowled. "But John—"

"No buts."

He looked like he was going to protest again, but a moment later he deflated a little and nodded. "Yes, John." A few beats after he added more, his tone much, much quieter. "My idea was better."

John kissed his lover's forehead. "I like your idea, too. And we will do that. Soon."

"How about now? Now is soon."

"Later." John smiled at him."

"It would be more fun now."

"That's only because you don't want to go shopping, and you're trying to get out of it."

Rodney snorted, but didn't argue that point. "But it would be more fun now. Come on. Admit it. It turned you on before."

"You did." John pulled away, heading back to the dresser and toy bag. "And we will play that game. But right now, I need to have you close. I need to know I can touch you at any time."

"But that means I have to get dressed." John turned around, raising an eyebrow at Rodney's tone. He was actually whining about putting on clothes.

Thinking about it, other than the flight, his lover hadn't worn clothes for a while now. Smiling, John picked out the cage and a vibrating plug, making sure Rodney saw them. Then he pulled out his sub's loosest pair of pants.

"Oh," he said, his eyes widening as he swallowed. There was a small twitch of his dick as he got interested. John would have to take care of that quickly or else he'd have a problem putting on the cage.

Picking it up, he moved in, not really giving Rodney time to think about it. The cage went on, and the plug was slicked and pressed inside his sub almost before Rodney realized it.

Rodney groaned John's name, his hand braced on one of the bedposts. His sub's wrist, marked with a wide white stripe where the cuff had been for ten days, made John smile.

Humming, John returned to his preparations, pulling out the beautiful jeweled set of bondage gear. The collar went on his sub, highlighting his eyes, and the matching nipple rings slid right into place.

His sub didn't flinch, didn't move, letting John work, letting him adorn his body.

The cuffs went on next—jeweled ones for the wrists, leather for the ankles—and then the loose khakis. John didn't give his lover boxers, and as he pulled the pants into place, he nudged the plug onto its lowest setting.

Rodney moaned, leaning into John as he fastened his pants closed. John pulled out a shirt that would match Rodney's eyes.

"You are evil."

Chuckling, John pulled out clothes for himself, choosing items he knew Rodney liked to see on him, that highlighted his own body.

Rodney watched him with wide-open eyes as he stood next to the bed, panting, adjusting to the sensations from the vibrator. He licked his lips as John slid into his boxers and pants, the jeans emphasizing both his ass and cock.

His shirt, a tight black number, went on next.

His sub moaned quietly as soon as John settled it into place.

"Look okay?"

Rodney swallowed thickly and nodded. "Too okay."

Knowing what it would do to his sub, John turned around and bent over to rummage through the drawer again, making sure his ass was in Rodney's line of view.

Hands were on his hips moments later, skating across him, drawing him back toward his lover.

"Caught your eye, eh?" John leaned in to Rodney' resting his head back against his lover's shoulder.

Rodney's hands slid around to John's stomach, broad and warm. After a few seconds one began heading south, its destination clearly in mind.

"Ah ah. We have to shop. That can wait until later."

"Now is better."

Turning his head, John pressed a kiss into Rodney's neck, while he captured his sub's hands and held them firm at his own waist. "Now is always fun, but if we get distracted, we won't get out. And I really don't have anything to cook for dinner tonight."

"There's always take-out," Rodney said, struggling in John's grasp.

"I like cooking." John kissed him again, and then stood, pulling away. "And you like it, too. You just don't want to go shopping with me."

"I want to do…other things with you."

"And we will. But not right now."

"But—"

"No buts."

Rodney's mouth snapped shut at the firmness of John's tone. Huh. He needed to do that more often. Holding Rodney's gaze, John waited a minute or two until he was certain Rodney wasn't going to start arguing with him again.

Leaning in, he rewarded his sub with a brief kiss, then went back to getting them ready to go.

Socks and shoes were the last things he added before moving into the kitchen. A quick breakfast and then they could stock up. Rodney was nearly silent as he meandered through the apartment as John cooked, sorting through the mail that had accumulated while they'd been gone.

It was comfortingly domestic. They didn't really feel the need to talk much, just enjoying one another's company and being close.

When John called to let him know the food was ready, Rodney padded in less than a minute later, immediately arranging himself on the floor next to John's chair, relaxing into position.

He had just whipped up some eggs and pancakes, so he brought it to the table, making sure to pet his lover as much as he was feeding him.

John watched Rodney, carefully observant of his body language. He'd been insistent earlier, but after John had put his foot down—firmly put his foot down—it seemed like he'd simply accepted John's decision and moved on.

Apparently, after the long week of submission, Rodney needed to know that John was still in charge. He needed to know it didn't end with the end of vacation.

He ate from John's hand eagerly, his face showing his contentment as if their argument had never happened. He'd certainly changed and in a way, that made John pause. He didn't want to lose who Rodney was to make room for a sub that didn't think for himself.

With an internal sigh, he decided to keep an eye on it. It was one thing while they were here on Earth. Hopefully, once they got back to Atlantis, Rodney would fall back into being a sub at home, and the brilliant scientist at work.

But it also reinforced his own decision about staying on Earth and having Rodney as a full-time sub, only leaving the house when John permitted it. It wasn't the time for that. There was still so much to do.

Rodney tilted his head, his eyes narrowing up at John. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah. Just thinking."

"I could tell. Can hear the hamsters running in their wheel."

John reached out, cupping Rodney's face. "I was just thinking that we still have a lot to do on Atlantis. And how it might be nice, someday, to have this full time, but I worry that it would mean losing a part of you I love just as much—the brilliant, inventive man I fell for in the first place."

Rodney blinked a few times and John could feel something shift in his lover. "You don't…want this?" he finally asked, voice a little thin.

John slid to the floor, gathering the other man up in his arms. "God, that's not what I meant at all. I want this, want you, more than I can ever say in words. I was just thinking about how there are so many parts that are all you, and I don't think I'm ready to lose any of them yet, not full time."

"But I thought this was what you wanted."

"It is." John sighed, he wasn't being very clear. "I guess I want it all. I love you like this, mine, and I don't have to share you with anyone or anything. But I love watching you work too, watching you be brilliant and get excited about discovery."

"But here you're safe," Rodney said quietly, his hand resting in the center of John's chest.

"And so are you. But safety means giving up discovery, too."

"Sometimes…" he started quietly, voice coming slowly. "Sometimes, I think I'd rather have you safe. I don't want to lose you. Like this I can forget, just a little."

"I know," John sighed again. "Me, too. I wonder if keeping you safe is worth giving everything else up. But then I worry that safety would mean losing that part of you permanently. If you would come to resent me for it after a while."

"I…I don't know," he said after a moment, and John knew it was the truth. "This is still…new and…and unexpected in a way. I've never had this…this closeness with anyone. But I don't want to lose it, lose you, or jeopardize it in any way." He paused, taking a breath. "You make me happy, John, and I trust you. And…and as much as I would love to buy a huge house somewhere where I can walk around naked and ready for you all day long and never leave it again, I also know that I don't want you to give up what you love. I don't want you to give up flying and Atlantis."

Rodney paused, his face tight with emotion and something else. John went to speak, but Rodney laid his finger on his lips, shushing him.

"I…let me finish."

Nodding, John was willing to give him the time to gather his thoughts.

"I know…I know I've changed. For the good or bad, you've changed me. Made me see things differently. But it's made me happy for the first time in my life. So. I guess what I'm trying to say is that while I would give up everything to live in that great big house, I also trust you to know what's best for us, for me. I'll abide by whatever decision you think is best, John."

God. Rodney's eyes were wide and blue and the trust and love John saw there made his chest ache.

"I only want what I think is best for you." John whispered it, too overcome to make his voice work louder.

"I know." Rodney smiled weakly. "And that's why I trust you, because I know that."

Needing to reassure them both, John pulled his lover in for a deep kiss.

Rodney opened up for him, tongues tangling together as their hands searched for skin. Closer, they needed to be skin close.

So much for getting dressed, John thought vaguely as he shoved Rodney's shirt up to his armpits even as his lover did the same to him.

Sex, however, wasn't the goal. They both just needed comfort, reassurance.

Rodney pulled back a little and John managed to wrench his lover's shirt over his head. "Touch me, please," Rodney begged, even as his hands fumbled with the button on John's waistband.

John leaned in, capturing skin with his mouth, needing to taste, to feel.

Rodney moaned, his body trembling. His hands eventually gave up on John's jeans, moving to his sides, sliding toward his back. Nails scraped the skin awakening John's senses. He tipped them to the side, landing in an awkward pile on the kitchen floor, a tangle of arms and legs.

Laughing, John lifted his head, but didn't loosen his grip. "We're acting like sex-starved teenagers, you know that right?"

"Maybe it's because we don't get enough sex," Rodney said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, we're such martyrs."

Rodney snorted, shaking his head. He licked his lips, looking up at John with a fond—if amused—expression on his face. "So. I guess this means that we're going back to Atlantis."

Nodding, John leaned in to nibble on Rodney's lips. "I think so. I think we have to right now. What will happen in the future? I don't know. But for now..."

"But for now you don't want to chain me to your bed." Rodney's lips quirked in a half-smile.

"Well, right now we're going to the store. Then I'll chain you to the bed."

"That's not what I meant."

"So what did you mean?"

"About…about us, about us staying here, about me really becoming yours. You're not…you don't think we're ready for that."

"You are mine, in every way. But staying here…no, I don't think either of us is ready for that yet. Not knowing what's out there, and the people counting on us. We'd do it, and we'd be happy, but I think both of us would always wonder. And if something did happen when we weren't there, I'm not sure either of us would be able to forgive ourselves."

"Whatever happened to the whole 'ignorance is bliss' motto?"

"No one could ever call you ignorant, of anything."

Rodney sighed quietly, his hands squeezing John where they rested on his hips. "Sometimes I wish that wasn't the case."

"I know." John kissed his lover again.

John could taste Rodney's disappointment, his regret. But it was for the best. As much as Rodney thought he wanted it, John also knew it would be a mistake. There was still so much to do, so much to explore.

And at the end of the day, he really didn't want his lover to resent him in six months.

John let the kiss end naturally, easily. He leaned back, loving the sight of his lover spread out under him: blue peaking out from under his heavily-lidded eyes, his kiss reddened lips, the small smile on his mouth.

"I love you."

"Love you, too," Rodney said quietly, holding John's gaze. "But can we move soon? The kitchen floor isn't all that good for my back."

Chuckling, John rolled to his feet and held out a hand. "We should get going anyway. I want to get out so we can get back."

Rodney groaned as he climbed to his feet, steadying himself against John. "Do we even know when we have to report back?"

"It's probably on the answering machine. We'll check in the later."

"I'm not looking forward to the three week trip."

"Yeah, that always sucks, but at least we had this time."

Rodney sighed, straightening up. "So, where are you dragging me to?"

"Grocery store. I just want to pick up a few things for the today and however long we'll be in briefings. So we won't be too long."

"How do you know how much food we need if you're not even sure when we have to report back?" Rodney asked as he followed John into the living room. He'd clean up the breakfast dishes when they got back.

"I'm just going to pick up some staples, and a few things. I can get creative."

"But do you think we'll need a whole dozen eggs? I mean, I'd hate for it to go bad because it's not like we get back here that often. But, if we're going to be here a few days we might need more than a dozen. And then there's bread. Do we get a big loaf or a small one?"

Rolling his eyes, John made sure his wallet was in his pocket and held out a hand for Rodney. "Don't worry. I'll find a way to make sure we don't waste anything."

His lover grabbed it immediately, squeezing John's hand. "But it's important to know exactly how long we need to purchase food for since neither of us really want to do this kind of mundane chore again if we don’t have to. Come to think of it, why didn't I just ask the cleaning service to stock up before we got home? I did that the last time and it worked out really well."

"It's okay, Rodney. I don't mind doing it, and I like cooking."

"But you know…it’s the whole grocery store experience that I'm really not fond of."

"What's wrong with grocery stores?"

"Well…there's people there."

"Yes? And?"

John switched hands as he tugged Rodney outside, locking the door behind them. "Well, people and I don't generally get along very well and most of the people who work there barely have enough IQ points to turn on a light switch, let alone answer complicated questions about carbohydrates and use by dates."

Shaking his head, John meandered toward the car. "Just stay close, and I'll worry about that stuff, okay?"

"It's not my fault that the produce kid started crying that one time."

"You yelled at him for twenty minutes!"

"He should be able to answer a simple question asked of him in his native language!"

"There was no way that poor kid was going to know that."

Rodney slid into the passenger seat of the car without missing a beat. "It was a simple question about logistics and refrigeration."

"You wanted the history of the peach in your hand."

"Of course I did! Have you ever gotten sick from a bad peach? It's nasty! I was ill for nearly a week. I'm surprised I didn't die."

"It's fine to be careful. But you can't really expect the stock boy to give you a detailed account of where the peach has been, including tree credentials."

"He claimed to be the supervisor of the produce section. Of course I expect him to know everything about the items he's selling! Any supervisor needs to know everything. Why do you think I'm so hard on the science department heads?" Rodney's hands were waving as he talked, all worked up about the one bad peach he'd eaten during one of his more magnificent junk food eating binges before he shipped out to Atlantis the first time. John still remembered the man cringing when they'd walked into the store a year later.

"He was just a kid. He supervised the floor to make sure everything was fully stocked."

"He should have been able to answer a very simple question."

As he started the car, John threw out another comment that got his lover and submissive going on a rant about produce and the incompetence of everyone. As he pulled out, he had to smile to himself. Life was good. Very good. And this was just the beginning.

***

The End


End file.
